Saving Maes Hughes
by Maralexa
Summary: Rebuilding operations launch full force in Amestris. General Roy Mustang has everything he ever wanted, but something is still missing. His life could never be complete without Maes Hughes by his side, so when a mysterious man who calls himself the Doctor pays a visit to Central Command, a rewrite in time could change everyone's lives for better or for worse.
1. Chapter 1: Laws Rewritten

**Chapter 1: Laws Rewritten**

**Hi, everyone! Call me crazy, but I suddenly decided to start a new fanfic despite all the crazy college shenanigans that have dominated my time lately. I got really obsessed with Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and I'm already obsessed with Doctor Who, so I suddenly had the idea to write this crossover.**

**For those of you who know me, HI AGAIN! For those who don't, I'm Maralexa, and I won't get into a boring profile here because there's already a boring profile option for that. Hopefully you don't actually think it's boring, but anyway…I'll shut up now.**

**Enjoy, read, and review! I love reviews. If you review before the next update, I always respond to reviews in the next update. It's a thing I do in hopes of encouraging more reviews, because who doesn't love having their feedback appreciated? It lets everyone know that I do read and pay attention to all of them, and REVIEWS ARE COOL. And bowties are also cool.**

**Without further ado…ALLONS-Y!**

* * *

"Hello, General."

General Roy Mustang stopped in the middle of unpacking his new office in Central, turned to the sound of the familiar voice, and instinctively saluted. "Fuhrer Grumman. Good to see you, sir."

"And you," Grumman responded, motioning for Roy to drop the formalities. "I gathered from your report that your work in the East was successful," he went on. "It's good to have you back in Central. Did you and your team have a nice trip back?"

"You could say that," Roy said, deciding not to jump into the overused train ride complaint.

"Good to hear," Grumman said, his eyes twinkling. "You are truly an asset to your country, General. You serve our people well."

"Thank you, sir, but I'm only a part of the bigger picture," Roy said automatically, though the compliment meant a lot coming from this man.

"Take some credit, General. This country would not be here without you." Before Roy could object, Grumman waved him off. "Now, onto more pressing matters. Are you settled in? Finished unpacking?"

"Nearly, sir. I just arrived this morning."

"When was the last time you had a break?" Grumman asked him.

Roy paused a moment, reflecting on the previous year. Since he went to the East to help rebuild Ishval, he was often caught sleeping on his desk, in a library, in the car… Riza had to wake him up more times than he could count. They accomplished a great deal in the East, but rest wasn't a priority at the moment. "I don't have time for a break," he finally answered. "We have a country to rebuild. Which reminds me…how have things been here in Central?"

"We have made great progress," Grumman said, smiling. "Many of the laws have changed."

Roy glanced back at his desk, piled high with paperwork. "Law changes, huh? I'm guessing that's what those are."

Grumman nodded. "A man of your rank must familiarize himself with the laws of our country. But before you go into that, you need to take a break. Get some rest, settle down, and for the love of Pete, find a woman!"

Roy couldn't help but laugh a little. He really had missed his commanding officer's good-natured sense of humor. "Thanks, sir, but I'll have to pass on that. Joking aside, there really isn't a woman out there for me." _Not one I can legally marry, anyway,_ he silently added.

"Well, if you're sure. You have a lot of reading to catch up on, then, General. I think the document on the top may be of particular interest to you." With that, Grumman waved goodbye and strolled out, followed by a pair of disoriented bodyguards who clearly have trouble keeping up with him.

Shaking his head, Roy went back to unpacking the office, though the Fuhrer's words had sparked his interest. What was so exciting about law changes? He knew this man long enough to recognize he was up to something. Roy had learned from the best, after all. After a moment's pause, he decidedly went to his desk, sat down, and studied the document Grumman had indicated. After scanning legalese for a few minutes, his eyes hit a key word. He quickly read through the rest, holding onto the hope that this was indeed what he thought it was…

"General Mustang?" Riza Hawkeye, recently promoted to Lieutenant General, stepped in the doorway and saluted him. "The Fuhrer told me you wanted to speak with me, sir."

Roy tried to conceal a smirk. _That clever man_, he thought, trying to picture the look on Grumman's face as he orchestrated this. "Right. Come in," he said, assuming a business-like demeanor.

Riza approached his desk, eyeing the mountain of paperwork. "Do you need me to motivate you, sir?" she asked, patting the gun on her hip.

"That won't be necessary," he said, standing up and coming around to meet her. "I have a different question for you." Without warning, he placed one hand on her back and used the other to sweep her off her feet. "I've been waiting to ask you this for a long time."

Riza's face flushed bright red and her eyes widened in shock. She knew this look; it was his womanizing face, and this was hardly the time and place for it. "Cut it out, sir!" she gasped, squirming a little. Had he gone mad? He should know better! Especially in the open like this! When he wouldn't immediately let go, Riza shoved his chest, grabbed his arm, and flipped him in one fluid motion, holding his arm behind his back in a submission hold.

"Ow," Roy groaned, mentally assessing whether or not anything was broken. Of course, nothing was—she would never do that to him. "Damn. I forgot how strong you are. No wonder I fell in love with you."

Riza was about _this close_ to slapping the smirk off his face before it dawned on her that she had just flipped her commanding officer. Regardless of everything they had been through together, she was still his subordinate. True, his actions were out of line, but hers were as well. "I apologize, sir," she said quickly, releasing him from the arm-lock, standing up, and brushing herself off.

"No, no, it's my fault," Roy said, doing the same. "I probably should have picked a better way to break the news to you. I can be a little too creative sometimes."

"News? What news?" Her mind was reeling. By this point, she came to the conclusion he was not drunk. Was he resigning from the military to be with her? She would follow him, as always, but not without doing everything in her power to convince him how idiotic that would be. She loved him, of course; she always has, but his duties to Amestris were far more important than their love for each other. They couldn't have both, so she accepted a long time ago that his duties came first. She was content with working as his subordinate as long as she could be at his side, no matter what. She convinced herself every passing day that this life was enough for her. She quickly pushed those thoughts from her mind and studied his face. That face, those eyes…she had read them for years, but even she couldn't explain why he seemed happier than he had ever been since the day she met him. If he was truly leaving the military, he would be a moron to look this ecstatic. No, this was something else. One possibility crossed her mind, but it couldn't be. It was something she'd dreamed about for years, but never expressed aloud because, realistically, it would never happen.

All of this crossed her mind in a matter of seconds. As she thought it through, Roy picked up the document and held it out to her. "Read this."

Riza was no more a fan of legal writing than her commanding officer, but she did as she was told. After a few minutes, her eyes found the word. Anti-fraternization. Her heart skipped a beat as she continued reading, and she almost dropped the document as she read the confirmation that the military's anti-fraternization laws have been abolished. Her eyes met Roy's, and as the truth sank in, she realized why his whole aura was glowing.

Roy watched her demeanor slowly change as she read it, and when her eyes met his, he knew the answer to the question before he even asked it. When a man asks a woman this question, they usually have a few years' dating experience under their belts. They go on countless dates together, exchange gifts, kiss often, and talk about the future before raising the big question. Roy and Riza have done none of these things—at least, not on the record. Despite this, neither could imagine being with anyone else. They fought side-by-side, had each other's backs, protected each other at all costs, and knew each other better than anyone else in the world. They had more signs, signals, and codes than they knew what to do with, and they trusted one another with their very lives. When Roy got down on one knee and gazed lovingly up at his subordinate, his best friend…he knew he didn't even have to ask.

"Riza Hawkeye…will you marry me?"

Riza Hawkeye had only truly cried twice in her lifetime. When no one was looking, not even Roy, she cried at the death of her father. When she thought Roy had died at the hands of the homunculus, Lust, she shed more tears than she cared to count. That day, she felt as though half of her was ripped away, leaving her with nothing left to live for. Now, as she looked into that man's shining eyes, glowing as warmly as the flames produced by his alchemy, the tears threatened to make a third appearance. "Did you really have to ask?" She knelt down in front of him, a silent signal that no matter what, she wanted to be by his side and on his level. "You moron, of course I'll marry you," she said, pulling him into an embrace. She rested her chin on his shoulder, finally letting the tears fall now that her face was hidden.

Roy felt the teardrops hit his jacket, and he slowly pulled back. "Hey, watch it. You know I'm useless in the rain, Lieutenant General."

"You don't usually admit it out loud, _General_," she teased, wiping her eyes. She paused at a knock on the door, though she didn't have time to compose herself before Kain Fuery, recently promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, stepped in. "You're popular today," she remarked, to which Roy simply smirked.

"Sir, some of your things got mixed up with mine," Fuery said, holding a box, which he ended up dropping upon seeing the scene in the office.

"Hey, some of those are breakable!" Roy objected. Realizing Fuery was likely not yet aware of the law change, he hastily added, "And don't get any ideas; we were just—"

Before he could say any more, Fuery proclaimed, "_My OTP is canon!_"

This wasn't exactly the reaction Roy was expecting. "Your what?"

"My OTP," Fuery said excitedly. "We've been shipping you two for _years_."

"We?" Roy asked at the same time Riza said, "Shipping?" Neither were entirely familiar with Fuery's tech lingo.

It wasn't long before the rest of Team Mustang, all three of whom were promoted to Brigadier Generals, assembled in Roy's office.

"So it finally happened, huh?" Havoc asked, taking the cigarette out of his mouth long enough to laugh. "Congrats, General."

"You were all listening in, weren't you?" Roy asked.

"Whole time, sir," Fuery responded. "It was the Fuhrer's idea, though."

"So bringing my stuff in was just a front," Roy deduced, crossing his arms. "You'd better replace everything you broke."

"It was worth it," Fuery said, though his eyes were apologetic.

"Wait, you all knew about this?" Riza asked.

"We were in on it," Havoc admitted, shrugging. "We even bet on how the Lieutenant General would take it."

"Which I won, by the way," Falman said pointedly. "I bet she would flip him."

"I was kind of leaning toward a punch in the face," Havoc said. "I was damn close, too."

Fuery sighed. "I was really hoping for a kiss or something."

"Cute, but not realistic," Breda said. "I was so sure she'd yank her gun out."

"You were all wrong, though," Falman told them. "Pay up."

Roy could only watch in bafflement as his team grudgingly counted through the money in their pockets and handed it over to Falman. "I can't believe he told my team about the law change before us," he said, bewildered, though not entirely surprised. This whole plan reeked of Grumman. It was his style, after all.

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood or any of the characters. Gosh, that would be awesome if I did.**

**AN: So there's Chapter 1, guys! Let me know what you think by shooting me a review, or simply by following/favoriting it so I know enough people like it to keep going. I can't promise frequent updates, but I pledge to never leave a story unfinished, even if it takes an uber-long time to do so. Thanks for reading! :D**


	2. Chapter 2: To Crash A Wedding

**Chapter 2: To Crash A Wedding**

**Hey guys! This story is loads of fun for me, so I came up with this update relatively quickly. Feel free to review at any time, and if you ever have any ideas, feel free to send them my way, because I never usually write a story with a definite plot in mind. If I have enough for a beginning and a general idea for the middle, I'll go for it and let the story write itself from there. Anyone who knows me and has read my stories would know that about me, and also that I love hearing your thoughts and ideas. :) So if you have thoughts on how to make the story better than my potential plan, please do share! Without further ado, here's Chapter 2!**

**roseclararizawin: Thank you so much for the compliments! Grammar and character development are some of the most important things to me when writing a story or finding one to read. I also wanted to build a good foundation before launching into the real story. :) Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

**Pergjithshme: Yay confetti! Glad you're back! I missed ya! And yes, I'm fully aware of what maniacal laughter for non-maniacal purposes feels like. I do it all the time. :D Yay Royai!**

* * *

_A few months later…_

"Hold still," Chris Mustang grumbled as she tried to slick Roy's hair back. "You're going to mess it up."

"I can do this myself," Roy complained. "Since when do you ever fuss over me?"

"I don't," Chris answered, slapping his hand before he could ruffle the gel out of his hair. "You'd better not get used to it, either. You only get married once." Her voice sharpened a little as she added, "You'd better only get married once, or I didn't raise you right."

"You did fine," Roy told her, smiling a little, but still squirming despite her attempts to hold him still.

"I don't need your approval," she scowled, but he detected a note of satisfaction in her voice. Despite her gruffness, Chris really was proud of how he turned out. As he grew up, she repeatedly told him she'd be damned if she didn't make a gentleman out of him.

Fuery was sitting nearby, typing away on a laptop he had recently built. Roy made a mental note to ask Fuery to build one for him, because the recent invention seemed pretty useful, though Roy had yet to figure out how it worked. He torched the last one he attempted to use because the controls were too frustrating. Evidently, flame alchemy does not make machines bend to your will in the same way it works on humans. Not that he would use it against humans anytime soon, but still, it was good to know; machines are definitely not flame-resistant.

Falman stepped in and shook his head disapprovingly. "Lieutenant Colonel Fuery, you're supposed to be helping set up," he said.

"I'm blogging," Fuery mumbled, his eyes glued to the screen.

"You're what?" Roy turned his head to see what Fuery was doing, much to Chris's dismay.

"Don't make me strap you to a table, Roy," she growled.

"Blogging," Fuery repeated, still typing. "About the wedding."

"Don't blog about my wedding!" Roy objected, turning his head again and earning a smack from Chris. "What does that even mean?"

"I'm posting about it on Tumblr," Fuery informed them, wrapping up his post. "Hashtag…OTP. Okay, done," he said, closing the laptop to indicate finality.

"Tumblr will never be a thing," Havoc said from the corner, where he was taking a "smoke break."

"It _will_ be a thing," Fuery insisted. "Just wait."

"Do me a favor and don't make it a thing about my wedding," Roy requested, wisely keeping his head still as he did so.

"This wedding won't happen if you people keep slacking off," Falman complained.

"Get lost, all of you," Chris ordered Roy's team. "Go make yourselves useful."

"You heard her," Falman said, confiscating Fuery's laptop. "Move out."

Once the men cleared out, Roy stood and stepped in front of a full-length mirror. His hair was plastered with more gel than he personally preferred, but Chris wouldn't have it any other way, and arguing was pointless. He was wearing his usual military uniform, but Chris had washed and pressed it to give it a neater look. After years of working side-by-side with the woman he loved, they could finally make the vows to bind them together forever. Sentiment wasn't usually Roy's style, nor was it Riza's, but today was an exception. "I'm not sure how much I'll enjoy the spotlight, to be honest," he said without turning around.

"Don't you dare back out, Roy Mustang," Chris said sharply.

"Don't worry, I'm not," he said, smiling a little. "To be honest, storming Central on the Promised Day sounds like cake compared to this."

"You'll do just fine," she assured him. "I'm going to find a seat. Don't wait too long, or I'll drag you out of here myself." She offered a small half-smile before turning to leave.

Alone with his thoughts, Roy turned his attention back to the reflection in the mirror. This was it…the day he would get everything he ever wanted. He held the second-highest rank in the land and, in a few moments, would hold the woman he has loved for years. Everyone considered him a hero, and in a few short years, he would more than likely be the one to take Grumman's place as leader of Amestris. He was a talented alchemist before, but the experience in the portal of Truth—though terrifying in every respect—made him that much more adept with alchemy. Everything was falling into place, yet…something was missing.

"Maes Hughes," he whispered, letting sadness momentarily cross his features. This was a happy day, but his closest friend would not be there to see it. "Here I am, almost at the top, and you're not up here with me." His gloved hands tightened into fists as his turned his face away from the mirror and closed his eyes, letting memories envelop him for a moment. "That wasn't the plan, Hughes. You were supposed to help me get here. You're supposed to be the best man at my wedding. How can I do this without you?"

For a brief moment, Roy could almost imagine Hughes standing beside him, shaking his head with that half-serious, half-dorky smile on his face.

* * *

"It's too bad you cut your hair, Riza," Rebecca complained. "I can't really do much with it!"

"I think I'll grow it out again," Riza commented, thinking of Roy's many attempts at _subtly_ telling her how much he preferred her hair longer. In the few months that passed since the proposal, her hair had grown to a length just above her shoulders. Even at this length, she often had to swat Roy's hand away from it, because she would often catch him trying to play with it in a procrastination attempt. It was the small things, really; that man would do anything to distract himself from work. Some things never change.

"It looked good long," Rebecca agreed, weaving flowers into her hair and adjusting the dress. "You look _so_ beautiful!" she squeaked. "What do you think, Hayate?"

The little dog looked up and cocked his head at Riza, looking happy as always, but he seemed to approve.

"So, how does it feel? Finally getting married?" Rebecca asked, smoothing the folds in Riza's dress.

"I never expected it, honestly," Riza admitted. She and Roy had originally hoped to do something simple, but given their ranks and statuses as heroes of Amestris, it wasn't exactly easy to do anything quietly. The ceremony would be short, she hoped; she knew Roy was probably feeling just as uncomfortable as she was, but ultimately, they were both happy. Still, she wanted to be with him, not in a room lined with cosmetic supplies getting dolled up like a beauty queen.

If anything went wrong, she wouldn't exactly be able to fight in this dress. Some would call her paranoid, but caution became a part of her on the same day she became a killer. Since the days of Ishval, Riza was always counting exits and forming every possible strategy on what to do if something went wrong. These heightened senses only grew stronger during her days as the Bradleys' hostage. The first homunculus, Pride certainly instilled enough fear in Riza to keep her on her toes. Roy's single order constantly rang in her mind: _don't die_. Even on a peaceful day like today, that order still remained front and center in her mind. If she died, it would destroy him. If he died, the same would happen to her. Not only did she have to constantly monitor her environment for her own protection, but for his as well. Despite the upcoming ceremony to become his wife, Riza Hawkeye still had a priority to watch his back and protect him no matter what.

She refused to voice her paranoia to anyone for fear of being labeled with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She never even told Roy, though a part of her wondered if he already knew. There were many things they didn't need to tell each other aloud for the other to understand.

For example, Riza somehow knew Roy was probably reminiscing about Maes Hughes at some time or another before the ceremony. Every moment Rebecca spent perfecting the bridal look was another moment Riza spent silently wishing to be with Roy, to comfort him, even if all it took was a small smile or an exchanged glance. She was itching to get down and find him so she could calm whatever anxiety he was likely trying to bury. Roy Mustang would never let these feelings show to anyone else; it wasn't his style. No doubt, Riza thought, he was probably alone at that very moment, trying to gather his thoughts and compose himself so everyone would see the man they expected him to be. They wanted General Mustang, so that was exactly what he gave them. His eyes, though… His eyes were windows straight into his soul, and only Riza knew how to read them right. She could see past General Mustang, straight through to Roy…the man she fell in love with.

"Earth to Riza?" Rebecca waved a hand in front of her friend's face. "Spacing out on your wedding day?"

Riza blinked back to reality, realizing Rebecca was done and awaiting a response. "I'm sorry," she said, trying to push the thoughts from her mind. "I'm just…"

"I know, I know. You're in _love_. Well, hurry up and approve of your look so you can go be with him, okay?" Rebecca said, laughing. "Come on, the mirror, look!" She practically dragged Riza to the mirror and stepped back to let her see the full image. "Well?"

Riza was shocked to say the least. The woman in the mirror resembled her, but not in a way she ever imagined. Flowers were woven into her blonde hair, and her long white dress was absolutely dazzling. What little sunlight filtered through the window bounced right off the tiny, shining silver sparkles sequined onto her dress. It took a moment for her to realize the sparkles were patterned into the same transmutation circle as the ones on Roy's ignition gloves. "It's beautiful," she said. "Thank you, Rebecca, for everything."

"Don't mention it," Rebecca said, bursting with pride and excitement. "Now get out there and get married!"

* * *

As far as everyone could tell, Roy Mustang was completely calm. Riza stepped into view from behind the tall arches of flowers, and one look at him indicated how nervous he was. His stature was relaxed as always, but she could see a slight, barely-noticeable tremor in his hands; his gaze, though relatively steady, sometimes flickered. His eyes fell on her as she stepped onto the path, and as soon as their gazes met, she silently encouraged him to focus on her alone. At this very moment, it was just the two of them. As long as they solely fixated on each other, they could get through the ceremony with relative ease.

Roy read her signal and nodded ever so slightly; Riza was relieved to see him visibly relax. _I can't just focus on him_, she told herself. _I have to make sure he's safe. Anyone could take advantage of this moment to assassinate him._ Not everyone agreed with his ideals, so despite the passing of the Promised Day, Riza stayed on guard.

Though she concealed it well, Roy noticed Riza's apprehension as she approached him. Even now, on their wedding day, she was watching his back. He smiled warmly at her, hoping she'd understand how badly he wanted her to relax and enjoy this day. It was their day, after all. There were plenty of soldiers in place to watch his back. She could take a break for now.

Riza could never take a break. Her gaze flickered around the open and beautifully-decorated area where the ceremony was taking place. Because they were outside, anyone could approach from anywhere. Before the ceremony even started, Riza memorized the escape routes and theorized the various methods of wedding-crashers. She had thought about almost everything. At last, only a few more steps lay between Riza and Roy. She was over halfway there, and looked forward to taking her place beside him. Everything was going perfectly so far, and none of her fears came to light.

Unfortunately, Riza had not foreseen the rain.

Without warning, the clear blue sky was replaced with fluffy gray storm clouds, and before anyone could bat an eye, the entire wedding was doused with pouring rain.

"What the hell?" Roy exclaimed, throwing his arms up to shield himself from the rain. "Where did that even come from?"

Riza gazed up at the sky, feeling the raindrops quickly soak her hair, her dress, her face…it was ironic in the most unexpected ways. After spending a few seconds wondering where the random rainfall had come from, Riza's eyes once again met Roy's, and with about as much warning as the rain provided, she started to laugh. Kicking off her painful and expensive heels, Riza ran to the love of her life and threw her arms around him, kissing him with enough passion to make up for the years she had to hold back.

Riza hit Roy with enough force for both to lose balance, and before they knew it, they were lying in the wet grass, drenched, mud-stained, and laughing hysterically. For several moments, the couple lay where they were, holding each other and laughing.

"Hair gel, Roy? Seriously?" Riza asked, ruffling his sopping hair.

"Hey, it wasn't _my_ idea," Roy said defensively. "What about you? Heels? Please. The dress was beautiful, though."

"Not anymore," Riza said regretfully. "Rebecca worked hard on it, too."

"Forget the dress. You're still beautiful to me," Roy said sincerely.

Riza laughed. "We're both a mess."

"Agreed." Roy looked up at the sky, which was still pouring absurdly-heavy rain on them. "That was anticlimactic. I thought we were supposed to get married. It wasn't meant to rain today. The sky was completely clear!"

Before Riza could make any comments about his resultant uselessness, a voice cut into their chatter. "That was my fault, actually. Hello." A tall, lanky man with a blue suit, strange red shoes, dark red tie, and spiky brown hair with sideburns towered over the couple, holding an odd little device. "I've been chasing a chimera, see, and this was supposed to track it, but instead it did a thing to your climate. So terribly sorry."

"Who are you?" Roy asked automatically as Riza drew a gun from a secret place in her dress.

"Oh. Military. Of course." The man sighed and shook his head disapprovingly. "You soldiers and your guns. It doesn't matter what dimension I go to; you're all the same."

"The general asked you a question. What is your name, sir?" Riza demanded.

"Me? Oh, nothing exciting. I'm the Doctor."

Roy and Riza simultaneously asked, "Doctor who?"

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. Not the manga, not the animes, not the movies…just to make sure I'm covered. I also don't own Doctor Who—past, present, or future. Timey-wimey stuff, you know.**

**AN: So the Doctor has made an appearance! The plot thickens. As always, thanks for reading, and your reviews are always appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 3: Allons-y!

**Chapter 3: Allons-y!**

**Hi everyone! I've been so super-mega busy with school projects that I haven't had much time for writing, but I think the work overload has been enough to motivate me to write. Any excuse to procrastinate, am I right? Hope you enjoy the third installment!**

**Kenzie Perth: Aww, you're so nice, thank you! Between your glitter and Pergjithshme's confetti, my story and I are now officially colorful and sparkly, and this makes me happy! :D**

* * *

"I love it when they ask that," the Doctor said, beaming. "Gets me every time. It's just…the Doctor. My name is the Doctor." Before the couple could comment, the Doctor suddenly snapped his fingers and dramatically pointed at them as if something had suddenly occurred to him. "Oh! You're the Mustangs, aren't you?"

"We were about to be," Roy informed him, "until you did…whatever that was…and made it rain on our wedding." Roy had never seen this man in his life, but it was not uncommon for someone to recognize a hero of Amestris. News of the wedding had, no doubt, spread across the land.

"Right…sorry about that," the Doctor said, apologizing once more. "Should be temporary. It'll clear up in a day or so, I imagine."

Roy seemed perfectly content with the strange man's recognition of them, but it made Riza uneasy. "You called us the Mustangs. Everyone knows our wedding was set for today, but you act like we've been married for a while now. You told us your name, but who are you _really_?" she demanded.

"Calm down a moment, and I'll tell you," the Doctor promised her. "It would be nice if we could get out of the rain, though. Why don't we head back to my ship? We can talk there."

There was that word again. _Ship_. Fuery used it on the day Roy proposed to Riza, but he'd used it as a verb in reference to the team's mental pairing of the two. The young Lieutenant Colonel had yet to fully explain it, but Roy preferred to stay out of that world if he could avoid it. Fuery seemed to think the world would be run by technology one day, but Roy highly doubted it.

"Your ship?" Riza asked skeptically.

"You really don't trust me," the Doctor noted. "Oh, come on! I've got a trusting face, see?" He flashed a wide, toothy grin, and even pointed at his face for emphasis. Riza was unfazed. "Blimey. All right. Enjoy your rain, then." With that, the Doctor tossed the useless device aside, shoved his hands in his pockets, and walked away.

"Don't follow him, Roy," Riza warned her partner. "I know how you alchemists are." She crossed her arms and started toward the car, looking forward to a nice, hot shower. "You put curiosity over reason every time, and it makes it so much harder to watch your back." Riza paused, realizing she could no longer feel Roy's presence beside her, and turned in dread to see her husband-to-be trailing the Doctor. "Dammit, Roy," she scowled, sloshing through the muddy puddles that were collecting in the grass from the steadily-pouring rain.

"You don't have to come with me," Roy told her as she carefully picked her way over to him.

"Don't be a moron," was all she needed to say. Maneuverability was so much harder in the wedding gown; she would smack him later. Really, he made no sense sometimes! Why did alchemists have such an insatiable obsession with knowledge? They often put their own safety at risk just to discover some truth or other, and Roy Mustang was no different. He frequently wore an eager, almost hungry expression that Riza dubbed his I-have-to-study-it face. The Elric brothers often had a similar countenance, and Riza could almost swear that Alchemists have a universal desire to study anything and everything. Who cares about staying alive, right? Priorities matter.

It was difficult to move quietly in the pouring rain; both Roy and Riza suspected the Doctor had long since noticed they were following him, but if he did, he gave no indication. He just kept sauntering along, humming a little and seeming almost carefree. If Roy had not taken a good look at the man's eyes while the trio was conversing, he would have pinned the Doctor as cheerful and downright untroubled. Roy knew better, though, and wondered if Riza had caught it as well. The deep, kind brown eyes of the Doctor…they were the eyes of a killer. A killer who had seen too much pain, suffering, and death to ever go back to the way things were before. A killer filled with such deep regret that it followed him everywhere, no matter how happy-go-lucky he made himself out to be. Roy carried this same burden and knew all too well how to identify it in others. One glance at Riza indicated she had also noticed; despite the inner tirade about idiotic alchemists that was more than likely going on in her mind at the moment, Roy could tell she was intrigued by the man as well.

The couple trailed the Doctor for about five minutes before coming to a stop in front of a large blue box. Neither Roy nor Riza knew what to make of it. On the top, it read "Police Public Call Box" and appeared to have a door. Roy immediately connected it to a telephone booth, though they could not see inside it. The "Police" label could have something to do with the military police, but a more burning question was how the box had gotten there in the first place. It didn't appear to have wheels or any other visible method of transporting it. It had certainly not been there before, so _someone_ must have gotten it there _somehow_.

Riza cast a sideways glance at her partner; she could practically see his wheels turning. "Why don't you just ask him?" she suggested.

"Welcome to the TARDIS," the Doctor proclaimed without turning around. He did not sound at all surprised they had followed him, and his tone indicated he had recited these words many times before.

Roy's curiosity got the better of him. "Is that what you call it?" he asked, taking a tentative step forward.

The Doctor turned to face them, smiling faintly. "Yes. Time and Relative Dimension in Space. She's my home. Sort of. Do you want to come inside?"

Every scientific bone in Roy's body screamed at the impossibility of the three of them fitting inside it, let alone a man living there. The box didn't exactly look portable. Intent on having his questions answered, Roy nodded. "I'll just…look from the outside," he said.

"Suit yourself," the Doctor said, opening the TARDIS. "Come closer; she won't bite!"

She. As if it was sentient. Confident to quench his thirst for knowledge so he could go home satisfied and get cleaned up, Roy strode to the TARDIS and peeked inside. What he saw made him stumble backward in shock.

Riza raced to his side immediately, wondering if it had hurt him. It took a lot to alarm Roy Mustang, so whatever he saw inside must have been extraordinary.

Before Riza could say anything, Roy stepped into the TARDIS, looked around in wonder, and then peeked out to make sure the exterior had not magically altered itself in his absence. "It's…impossible," he gasped, stepping back inside, then leaping out as if it would swallow him. He stuck his head in once more, then pulled back and walked two laps around the TARDIS before stepping inside once more.

Riza was growing increasingly concerned at this point and intentionally kept her distance from the box that had her future husband so entranced. "Roy…Roy, it's just a box," she said quickly, wondering if he'd gone mad. When he stepped out to face her, Riza recognized the I-have-to-study-it face immediately.

"Riza." His voice was focused and insistent, as if he was telling her the most important thing in the world. "It's bigger on the inside," he said, jerking his thumb toward the TARDIS.

"Don't be stupid," Riza said, shoving her gun at him. "Hold this." Gripping her wedding dress, Riza stormed over to the TARDIS entrance, intent on proving him wrong. What she saw made her freeze in her tracks. What appeared to be an ordinary blue box on the outside was a whole different world on the inside. It was like nothing Riza had ever seen; no words came close to describing the large, complicated room that lay before her eyes. She could hardly believe it, and it was right in front of her. She blinked several times, then did a lap around the TARDIS, much to Roy's amusement, and tapped the sides and back for anything that could trigger such an illusion. "All right," she said, throwing her hands up in submission. "I give up. Who are you?" she asked the Doctor.

"I'm the Doctor," he reminded her. "I'm a Time Lord from Gallifrey, and this is my time machine."

"Time Lord," Roy repeated. "Sounds…fancy."

"You don't seem surprised," the Doctor noted.

Roy shrugged. "I've seen enough impossible things in the past few years to last a lifetime. The near-destruction of a race, alchemy used in ways unimaginable, artificially-created humans, a living philosopher's stone, immortality, the Portal of Truth…Been there, done that. I'll be honest, though…I've never met a Time Lord."

"What does that even mean?" Riza asked.

"I'm from another world," he told her. "What, you think your world is the only one that exists?"

"There are theories about life beyond ours," Roy said pensively, "but none have been proven. We don't have the capability of travelling beyond our world, and we're pretty happy where we are. A handful of alchemists are obsessed with other worlds, but no one takes them seriously."

"Shame," the Doctor said, "because there is so much out there. Billions upon billions of different planets, life forms, stars…I'm hundreds of years old and haven't even put a dent in it. I can go anywhere I want in time and space, but I can never possibly dream of seeing all the universe has to offer."

Roy gazed at the TARDIS again, lost in thought. "A time machine, huh? You can really travel through time?"

"Yes," the Doctor said. "Tell me, General Mustang…would you like to see for yourself?"

Roy tore his gaze from the TARDIS and whipped around to face the Doctor, immediately at attention. "You're serious?"

"I am. I ruined your wedding, didn't I? I think I owe you," the Doctor said reasonably. "Equivalent exchange."

"You're willing to take us anywhere in time and space. Anywhere at all. Right now?" Roy asked, trying to wrap his head around this. The Doctor nodded.

"I'm in my wedding gown," Riza objected.

"Yes, you are," the Doctor affirmed, trying not to think about the irony of her statement. "I can drop you by your place before we go. You can clean up and get changed, and I'll take you anywhere you want and anytime you want. Within reason," he added necessarily. "I'll have you back five minutes after you left. No one will even know you left. What do you say?"

"I'm in," Roy said, a look of determination crossing his features.

"Hold on. Let's talk about this," Riza objected.

"I'm going," he told her simply, "and there's nothing you can say to change my mind. Whether you come or not is up to you."

Riza wanted to slap him. He should _know_ by now that she would never let him go anywhere she couldn't follow. Someone had to watch his back, because he sure as hell never did. He could be such an idiot sometimes, but she loved him with every fiber of her being. She would certainly not stand by and let him go on such a strange and unknown trip without her. If he didn't have her to step in, he could do something stupid, or even get himself killed. Roy was a great man, and a clever one at that, but they both knew he'd be long since dead without her.

Riza didn't have to voice any of this. Roy took one look at her face and knew she was irritated with him, but would never let him leave her behind. He was lucky to have her, and he would never take her for granted.

"It'll be fun," he assured her. "Just relax for once."

Riza had a growing feeling that this trip would be about more than simply relaxing. Roy had something in mind. A specific time, a specific man. If she had to be the one to stop him from doing something reckless, then so be it. "Fine. Let me get changed first," she requested.

* * *

"I have a time in mind I'd like to take Riza," Roy told the Doctor when he re-entered the TARDIS. "Don't tell her; consider it my wedding gift to her."

"All right, then," the Doctor said, turning to face him. "What do you have in mind?"

"Year 1914," Roy responded, writing down the specific date, time, and location. "This was the night Riza and I first met," he lied smoothly. "I thought it might be a good first place to start."

The Doctor had seen plenty of aggrieved people desperate to use the TARDIS as a means of bringing loved ones back, and he could see right through General Mustang's façade. Just as Riza played along, however, the Doctor decided to as well. If it came down to it, he would stop the general from breaking the laws of time, as he'd done with numerous others he let aboard his ship. "All right, then," he said smoothly. "1914 it is."

Riza joined them a few minutes later, fully equipped and uniformed.

"Good, we're ready to go," the Doctor said, smiling. "The first and most important rule of travelling with me is that we are observers. When going back in time, you must remember there are fixed points that must not be meddled with, or you will destroy the fabric of the timeline and very, very bad things will happen. Don't wander off, and if you come across your past selves, don't make contact. Paradoxes are highly very bad. Any questions? No? Good. Hold onto something," the Doctor told them as he pulled a lever. "_Allons-y!_"

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood or its fantastic characters, nor do I own anything Doctor Who related.**

**AN: Here it comes, guys! The moment you've all been waiting for! As always, shoot me reviews, because it makes me happy and motivates me to update more quickly! ;)**


	4. Chapter 4: Time Rewritten

**Chapter 4: Time Rewritten**

**Hey people! Sorry the first few chapters were so slow. This is when the real action begins, and I'm hoping to spark more interest as the excitement picks up. See what I did there? Spark. Someone come up with a state alchemist title for me based on fanfiction writing. I'd be most happy to have one. :) Anyway, with increased interest hopefully comes increased reviews. If you love it, I'd love to know! If you don't...well, I hope you do, but...I'd still love to know!**

**Without further ado, here's the chapter where stuff hits the fan.**

**Guest: Thanks for the feedback! Believe it or not, your review is what made me decide to go forward with this. :) One of the big reasons I'm writing this fic is because, like you said, there aren't a lot of Doctor Who x Fullmetal Alchemist crossovers, so I wrote one of my own. :D**

* * *

"Where exactly are we going?" Riza asked, holding onto the nearest railing.

"You'll see!" the Doctor responded. He felt he somewhat owed them for spoiling their wedding, but he would keep the situation under control if things potentially got messy. Of course he would. He was good at that. "We'll be there soon."

"I need to know," Riza said, meeting the Doctor's eyes, "if you know us somehow." She still couldn't shake the feeling that the time lord's recognition of them back in the rain had more to it than simple words on the street. "Did you meet us in the future or something?"

"Can't answer that," the Doctor said apologetically. "Spoilers. So sorry."

"Well, he called us the Mustangs," Roy pointed out. "Looks like you and I have a future together."

"Maybe," the Doctor mused, shrugging. "Maybe not. It's always in flux, time. It really can't be defined by what will happen or what has happened or what have you. It's not…linear. It's a ball, actually, but…not really. Well, sort of…_well_…it's timey wimey stuff all souped together. No, no, not soup. Sort of like a rug. Kind of. Blimey, I'm not sure how to put it in words you'd understand."

"So it's always moving?" Roy guessed.

"In a way, yes," the Doctor said. "Time Lords can move about using the Time Vortex, but it's a bit of a tricky business."

"Can time be changed?" Roy asked in as casual a manner as he could muster.

The Doctor locked gazes with him, knowing exactly what lay behind the formalities of his inquiry. "Time can be rewritten," he said carefully, "but not without consequences. Time Lords were not the rulers of time; they were the overseers of it. I am as bound to the laws of time as you are; the only difference between you and me is I have ease of access. With that ease of access comes responsibility. Do I save people when I can? Of course. But only if and when I can. Some people have to die in order to let important events unfold." His voice was firm, as though he was attempting to drive a clear and distinct point into Roy's mind. Time was not to be messed with, and as an overseer of time, the Doctor would not allow anyone to break the rules. "Take it from me; don't blindly try to rewrite time. You know nothing about it."

Roy nodded, keeping all of this in mind. "Thank you," he said. "I was just wondering. I never knew time travel was possible."

The Doctor pulled a lever and stepped back, grinning widely. "Have a look outside and see for yourself."

Roy approached the TARDIS door, holding his breath as his hand closed around the handle. If they really had travelled through time, he would see a clear evening in Central City on the other side of that door. Wherever they had landed, he would be able to find what he came for. He had every inch of street in Central perfectly memorized. After a moment's pause, he turned the handle, opened the door, and peered outside.

Despite being told they had traveled through time, Roy could still hardly believe it. They had moved, no doubt, and it was no longer raining. At night, Central City was equal parts beautiful and terrifying. Its lights provided a calm, classy look to the simple streets, sidewalks, and buildings, but Roy had learned just how ominous the many shadows could be. He took a slow, tentative step out of the TARDIS and onto the sidewalk, still trying to convince himself this was real. He continued this slow, cautious movement for a couple of minutes after he had fully adjusted to the phenomenon, because as long as he kept a façade of dazzled bewilderment, the Doctor would not take too many precautions against him.

"Is this the right place?" the Doctor asked, stepping out.

Roy nodded. "This is amazing," he breathed, looking around as though dumbstruck. "We actually moved."

Riza's light footsteps hit the pavement as she left the TARDIS to join the two men, equally astonished. "What's so special about this moment, Roy?" she asked him. "You picked this time, didn't you?"

The Doctor turned to face her. "Don't you know?" he asked. "It's the night you first met."

"We didn't meet in Central," Riza said, confused.

The Doctor ran a hand through his hair, looking a little sheepish. "I don't always land perfectly," he admitted. "Sometimes I'm off on the location; other times, the date or hour. The TARDIS is great, but she makes mistakes, too."

"If you were looking for the day Roy and I met, we should be at my father's estate in 1999. Roy and I were fourteen when he became my father's apprentice, and that's when I met him."

"Blimey!" the Doctor exclaimed, slapping his forehead. "Roy told me you met in 1914!"

Riza whirled around to face Roy, but he had long since vanished. "1914…that's the year…shit. I'll kill him." Before she could further explain, Riza sprinted down the street, knowing _exactly_ where Roy was headed and hoping she would not be too late to stop him.

* * *

"It's _Uncle_…_Sugar_…_Oliver_…then eight…zero…zero."

"Your code was verified," the operator responded, sounding as casual as though she was processing an order for takeout. "Please hold while I connect you."

"Will you hurry?" Maes Hughes shouted forcefully, trying to keep the panic out of his voice. "It's an emergency!" He stiffened at the sound of a gun clicking nearby. A quick glance behind him revealed Second Lieutenant Maria Ross holding a gun at his back.

"I need to ask you to put down the receiver," she told him firmly. "Please, sir."

Ignoring the stinging pain of his shoulder wound, Maes slowly turned to face her.

"Go on," she said. "Just hang it up."

"You look just like—but you're not," Maes realized aloud, grinning nervously. Beads of sweat started forming on his face as he processed just how complicated this whole thing was getting. First was his discovery with the connections between the uprisings and massacres, then the attack from the lady with the strange tattoo and talon fingers. Now a Maria Ross lookalike was pointing a gun at his back. Whoever these people were, they wanted him quiet. If he could just get ahold of Roy…just stall this imposter long enough… "Who the hell are you, lady?" he demanded.

"I'm Second Lieutenant Ross, sir," she said with an unfriendly smile. "You've lost too much blood."

"Drop the act already," Maes snapped, earning a frown from the imposter. "You're not Second Lieutenant Ross. She has a mole under her left eye!"

The imposter gazed at him a moment, seemingly surprised, then grinned menacingly. "You're observant," she said in a completely different voice. "I can't believe I forgot!" With that, she casually tapped the skin under her eye where the mole should be, making it appear as if by magic. "There, how do I look now?" she asked smoothly.

Maes gasped, unable to fully maintain his calm, forceful façade after a stunt like that. "This is not happening! Please tell me I'm hallucinating or something," he whispered, gripping the receiver. The phone in his hand was the only thing that made sense at the moment. He had to get to Roy no matter what.

"You really are a smart man, Lieutenant Colonel," the imposter said conversationally, glancing at the family photo at her feet. "Did you ever think that would be the cause of your death?"

Not much longer. Just keep her occupied. "Come on, have a heart, will ya?" he asked through his teeth. "I've got a wife and daughter waiting for me," he tried, meaning it with the utmost sincerity, but also hoping this would give the imposter second thoughts…just enough time to get Roy on the line. "So the last thing I'm gonna do," he added, subtly grabbing the knife from his sleeve, "is die on them!"

Gripping the knife, Maes whirled around to face the imposter, and almost dropped the weapon when he saw Maria Ross had been replaced by his wife, Gracia.

"You look surprised!" she said, maintaining the imposter's amused, mocking voice.

Having no shred of calm left in him, Maes trembled uncontrollably as he gazed, horrorstruck, into the eyes of the monster who had taken the form of his wife. "What the hell are you?" he gasped, close to tears.

As the imposter poised to pull the trigger, a huge blast of fire swept across the street, setting the Gracia lookalike ablaze. The unrecognizable form inside the raging flames was screaming in shock, agony, and rage. When the fire subsided, the burnt and blackened figure took on the form of a young man with long, wispy black hair, a black bodysuit, and a muscular physique. He was nothing pleasant to look at; red sparks flared from his burnt skin as it healed itself.

"Flame alchemy," Maes whispered, turning to the source of the attack. There was only one man who could create a fire attack like that, but he was at the Eastern Command Center. His mind reeling, Maes looked down at the imposter, who was still rapidly healing. How the hell was that even possible?

"Dammit!" the man shouted, curled up in a ball on the ground as his body healed. "Show yourself, you coward!"

"Gladly." From the shadows stepped Roy Mustang, his long coat and shaggy black hair blowing in the wind and his eyes narrowed with focused anger. "You tried to kill my closest friend," he said, voice low and menacing. "I can't let you do that, Envy."

"How the hell do you know me?" Envy shouted, getting to his feet to fight back. "You're at the Eastern Command Center!" he screamed, launching himself at the flame alchemist.

With a clap of his hands and a snap of his fingers, Roy sent Envy sprawling on the ground again, screaming in pain as the pinpoint flame seared his eyeballs.

"Look, Hughes, I don't have time for daughter stories," a familiar voice scowled over the phone. Maes stared at the phone, dumbstruck, then turned back to the man attacking Envy. "Hey, Hughes? Hughes! You okay? Hughes!" the voice shouted over the phone, starting to sound worried.

Without thinking, Maes snatched the phone and pressed his back against the wall, breathing quickly and shallowly. "Roy," he whispered, unable to keep the tremor out of his voice. "Wh-where are you?"

"I'm packing up my office at the Eastern Command Center," Roy answered, sounding concerned. "What the hell is going on over there?"

"Y-you're still in the east," Maes murmured, staring dizzily at the scene in front of him. The other Roy was still at it, sending the monstrous Envy into a screaming, burning mess multiple times.

"Yeah," Roy said, his concern turning to worry. "What happened to you?"

"Tell him to send for an ambulance," the Roy lookalike told him. "You're going to be fine."

"Call an ambulance," Maes said shakily, managing to provide his location. "I'll fill you in later."

"Hughes, wait—!" The colonel's voice was cut off as Maes put the phone down, hoping he wouldn't regret cutting contact with the only somewhat-normal human in the equation.

"You're crazy!" Envy shrieked, taking off running. Eventually, he managed to turn a corner and escape the oncoming flames.

"You bastard, I'm not letting you get away!" Roy shouted, moving to pursue, but the haunted look on his best friend's face froze him in his tracks. At that moment, Envy didn't matter. Roy Mustang had succeeded; he had stopped his friend's murder just in time, and now he was alive…now he could be the best man at Roy's wedding, and his wife and daughter would not suffer the loss of Maes Hughes.

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, storyline, etc. of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. I also don't own the scene from Episode 10.**

**AN: The deed has been done. The time has come for the consequences…and the feels! Hope you're enjoying this as much as I am! Until next time!**


	5. Chapter 5: Plans Rewritten

**Chapter 5: Plans Rewritten**

**Hey guys! Sorry it took so long to get to this update. I've been pretty busy. Final exams are coming up, so naturally, I've had a lot of schoolwork slammed in my face at once. I appreciate the feedback, and as things continue to heat up in this fic, I'm hoping you guys keep enjoying it!**

**Kenzie Perth: Yep, that's Roy for you. When he thinks things through, he's damn clever, but his impulse-acting has never proven effective. xD**

**Paradox Flux: He's certainly not happy, that's for sure! Glad you like it!**

**Dragonheart4258: Thanks for reviewing! So glad you're enjoying it!**

* * *

"What is this?" Maes demanded, his back still pressed against the back of the telephone booth. "You're in the east. How are you here?" He knew this man far better than he knew Maria Ross. If this was an imposter, Maes would know about it. A quick glance revealed nothing in particular; this man was Roy Mustang in every respect. His hair, his face, his gloves…his approach to alchemy was a bit different, though. Ordinarily, he would snap his fingers to create the flames, but this man had clapped his hands first…just like the Elric brothers. Also, upon closer inspection, the gloves he wore were pure white; they did not have transmutation circles on them. And the decorations on his uniform were those of a general, not a colonel.

"Hughes," Roy breathed, staring at Maes as though he was seeing him for the first time. "It's me," he whispered, slowly extending a gloved hand. "Roy Mustang. You know it's me."

"The Roy Mustang I know is a colonel in the Eastern Command Center," Maes said slowly. "You have the decorations of a general. His gloves have transmutation circles; yours don't. And your alchemy…you clapped your hands like the Elric brothers."

"You really are observant, Hughes," Roy said quietly, taking another tentative step forward. "I missed that about you, among other things."

"How can I trust you?" Maes asked warily.

Roy gazed at him a moment, then stooped to pick up the family photograph on the pavement. "I used to get so tired of your wife and daughter stories," he mused, gazing at the picture and trying not to shudder at the memory of finding it covered in his friend's blood. "Gracia was all you ever talked about in Ishval…and I thought you'd _never_ shut up about Elicia since the day she was born." After a moment's pause, he offered the photo to Maes, holding it as if it was the most delicate thing in the world. "It wasn't just them you cared about," he added, locking eyes with him. "You were prepared to do whatever it took to help me get to the top. I took you for granted."

Trying to steady his trembling hand, Maes took the photo from Roy and stared at it himself for a minute before putting it back inside his jacket. "Come on, Roy," he said, smiling nervously. "You're acting like I died or something. I'm right here." His mind was still swimming with possibilities, but maybe if he could get this man talking, the truth would come out in their conversation. This man was acting exactly like the Roy he knew, but there was something…off about him. He still had the confidence and purpose of Roy Mustang, but he seemed less arrogant and almost…somber? This was a man who had seen far more than he was letting on. Maes recognized it as something similar to the haunted look in Roy's eyes after Ishval, but this was bigger.

Without warning, Roy whipped around and took a battle stance. "Don't you dare!" he shouted, poising to strike if necessary. "I know you're there, Riza. I won't let you kill him."

Maes pressed his back against the booth once more, heart racing. Lieutenant Hawkeye? She was here, too? Why would she want to kill him?

"You're an idiot, Roy," a familiar voice snapped just before Riza emerged from her hiding place behind a bench. "I can't believe you did this! Do you have _any idea_ what this will do to our timeline? What were you _thinking_?" she shouted, slapping him hard in the face.

Timeline. Time travel. Maes gazed at Riza in shock, noting that her hair was shorter and her uniform bore the decorations of a Lieutenant General. There was no other explanation. These two were from the future. But _how_?

"What's done is done," Roy fired back. "You can't bring yourself to pull that trigger, and if you try, I'll stop you."

_Pull the trigger? _Maes thought. _Roy mentioned missing me earlier. He said he took me for granted. Of course._ He hated to legitimize the very idea of this, but there was no denying it. He must have died.

To add to the confusion, a third man ran into the street. "Blimey, I can't turn my back on you for one second! I—no." His eyes widened as he took in the scene before him. "You didn't."

Roy narrowed his eyes and turned to face the newcomer, his demeanor taking on a newfound air of defiance. _What are you going to do about it?_ his eyes seemed to say. "Yes," he said tightly. "I did. Do you have a problem with that, Doctor?"

"I should never have taken you," the man murmured, running a hand agitatedly through his hair. He paused for a moment as if deliberating what to do next. "TARDIS. Now," he said coldly, surprising everyone with the severity of his tone.

"We can't leave Hughes in the dark," Roy objected. "There's a lot we have to—"

"I think you've done enough damage," Riza scowled, grabbing Roy's arm. "Do as he says. For once."

Maes watched this play out, wondering if he should say something, but he chose to keep quiet for his own safety. Maes clenched his jaw as the strange man turned to face him for the first time. "Don't touch me," he said warningly as the man approached.

Going completely against this wish, the man placed a finger on Maes's forehead. After that, there was nothing but darkness.

* * *

"You didn't kill him."

Lust was the first to return to the rendezvous point, and it was not long before the constantly-present Gluttony was at her side once more. When Envy arrived, he was a little shaken but, more than anything, outraged. It didn't take much for Lust to deduce that the attempt on the lieutenant colonel's life did not go as planned.

"Ya think?" Envy snarled, pacing rigorously. "The damn flame colonel got in the way! Wasn't he supposed to be in his office? _Miles from here_? And he knew my _name_! What the hell?!"

Lust thought this through a moment. She had failed to kill Hughes, yes, but the lieutenant colonel did not have enough time between her attack and Envy's to alert Mustang and get him there in time. "They were one step ahead of us. This is unexpected," she mused.

"Something's rotten here," Envy continued, still raging. "Mustang has no way of knowing who we are or what our plans are...and he's _miles_ away!" he repeated furiously.

"Tell me, Envy," Lust said. "Did you notice anything during the attack? Are you sure it was Mustang?"

"Yeah," Envy scowled, sitting down and crossing his arms over his chest with a mutinous look on his face. "It was him, all right."

"He's causing trouble?" Gluttony asked, tilting his head to one side. "Can I eat him?"

Lust shook her head. "No. He's a candidate. You know the orders, Gluttony." She paused a moment as a plan formed itself in her mind. "Though I'm uncomfortable with his sudden insight on our plans, I can't say I'm not interested in how he came by the information. He could prove very useful."

"Useful? Damn dangerous if you ask me," Envy muttered.

"I wouldn't say that," Lust told him. "If we use the situation to our advantage, he could be an ideal pawn. We've learned that his flame attacks could be life-threatening to us, so we will need to adapt our strategy to that fact."

"What do you have in mind?" Envy asked her.

A sly smile pulled at Lust's lips as she told them her plan.

* * *

"He won't remember the past thirty minutes," the Doctor explained as he walked, hands in pockets, toward the TARDIS. "He lost a lot of blood from the injury in his shoulder, but he'll be fine when the ambulance picks him up."

"What will happen to our timeline?" Riza asked, keeping a watchful eye on her fiancé.

The Doctor stiffened a little. "You tell me. How impactful was that event?" He knew the answer, of course, but it may serve them better if they worked it out themselves.

"The death of Maes Hughes led to Roy's investigation on what information the lieutenant colonel was trying to tell him that night," Riza recalled. "Maria Ross was framed for the murder, so Roy staged her death and sent her to the ruins of Xerxes to prevent an execution."

"And if Maes Hughes was not murdered?" the Doctor prompted.

Riza thought back to the Promised Day. "Maria would never have gone to Xing, which means she would not have brought the extra ammunition to Central to aid the coup."

"What coup?" the Doctor asked her.

Riza glared pointedly at Roy. "That's right. Maes's death drove you to keep digging for answers. The more you investigated, the more you uncovered, but Maes Hughes was always the basis of your motivation."

Roy flushed and stared at the ground, feeling like a child being chastised for misbehaving, and mumbled, "I don't see how saving a man's life will destroy a timeline." Everything made sense, of course, but Roy's pride forced him to cling to the stubborn belief that he had done the right thing. "You could be dead wrong. With Maes alive, he can tell me what he wanted to tell me. We could investigate side-by-side."

"Maybe," the Doctor said, "but maybe not. You have no idea what will happen from this point forward. The timeline is rewriting itself as we speak. When you change something in time that was not meant to be changed, you erase everything that happened following that event. You tore a hole in the fabric of time, and now this new timeline you created will face the consequences of whatever happens to fill that hole. It could turn out exactly as it did before…or something new and drastically different could happen. Messing with fixed points can have one of two consequences: either you cause the event to happen, which is usually the case, or you alter the event in such a way that you drastically rewrite time."

"So the second is what happened here, then," Riza deduced. "What will happen to us? If someone kills my past self…or Roy's…in the new timeline, what happens?"

"You cease to exist," the Doctor said. "The timeline you know is being rewritten. This version of your likenesses will vanish regardless."

"We haven't vanished yet," Roy said hopefully. "Maybe nothing significant changed."

"Don't be quick to assume that," the Doctor warned him. "Look back in your memories. What do you remember of the night Hughes died?"

Roy frowned. "I have…two memories, actually." He recalled two different incidents…one in which the phone line died, and the other with a response from Maes. "I remember both versions of what happened," Roy realized aloud, his mind reeling. "But…I don't remember what happens afterward. I just remember calling an ambulance."

"This is because you're in this timeline right now," the Doctor said. "If I took you home, you would get an inflow of memories or you would cease to exist. It really depends on what happens from here on out."

"We shouldn't go home, then," Roy said, trying to wrap his mind around all of this while simultaneously forming a plan. "If we stuck around, we might be able to make sure the timeline goes the way it's supposed to."

"You've done enough damage," the Doctor reminded him. "I don't need you further meddling with time."

"We have to try," Roy said firmly. "I don't want to risk going home and losing everything."

"I wish you thought of that risk _before_ you rushed in to save Hughes," Riza said exasperatedly.

Roy shook his head earnestly as the plan started to piece together in his head. "If we succeed, we can save Maes Hughes _and_ save Amestris from the Homunculi. We know their plan. We can stop them before it starts."

"You're forgetting something," Riza said. "We're in our own timeline. If we run into ourselves, it's over."

"Sure," Roy said. "We just need to steer clear of our past selves. Hughes has a lot of important information already. If we feed him the other pieces of the puzzle, he can work with the past version of me to stop the homunculi. In the meantime, we can work undercover to halt their plans."

Riza sighed. "It's risky. Not to mention dangerous. But I guess we have no other choice. Doctor?"

After a moment's pause, the Doctor shrugged and finally relented. "All right, fine. I'm supervising you, though. You play by my rules." He looked pointedly at Roy when he said this. "Got it?"

Roy saluted him. "Yes, sir."

"Don't. Just…don't. Don't do that."

Roy shrugged. "Your rules."

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or Fullmetal Alchemist. Or Brotherhood. I don't own anything, really. I'm not interesting enough to own anything. Hope that changes.**

**AN: Homunculi plotting + Roy plotting = highly very bad stuff about to hit the fan. Keep reading and reviewing, everyone, and I hope you enjoy this story, however long it takes me to update. ;) As always, if you have any suggestions, toss them my way! I don't have the whole thing planned or anything, so if I get a really good idea from a reviewer, I'll probably use it, add you in the extremely interesting disclaimer, and publicly thank you in the review responses. Until next time!**


	6. Chapter 6: Memories Rewritten

**Chapter 6: Memories Rewritten**

**Once again, I'm sorry for the delayed update. Things have been crazy with exams, holiday traveling, and Christmas activities. To make up for it, here's a nice long one! I'm hoping to have another chapter finished by the New Year if not directly after. I've had some downtime to spend writing, and I must say, the ideas have been flowing almost too fast for me to get them down! I hope to keep this story suspenseful and engaging now that we've gotten past the setup stages. Things will hopefully continue to get more interesting from here!**

**Dragonheart4258: I'm glad you're enjoying this!**

**Kenzie Perth: That's the thing with Roy; he can be a total idiot, but he ****_almost_**** always finds a clever way to reveal he'd been planning elaborately the entire time. Sometimes he was, and other times he's just covering up for being an idiot. ;)**

**NotYourNormalFangirl: Ah yes, Edward often finds a way to unintentionally complicate things. Thanks for the idea; I actually didn't put much thought into Ed's role in this until now. :)**

**Paradox Flux: Thanks! And yes, the Doctor brings trouble with him everywhere he goes…even if that trouble is Roy Mustang.**

**roseclararizawin: You're very welcome! Aww, thanks so much! That was what I had in mind, actually; I couldn't find a good, long crossover fic, so I figured I'd take a stab at writing one. I love the support, thank you!**

* * *

Colonel Roy Mustang was not interested in his new office at the Central Command Center. He paid no attention to the murmurings amongst the other soldiers in the hallway, all of whom seemed to share a common opinion about the flame colonel's young age in respect to his position. There was only one thing on his mind at the moment, and not even a direct order from the Fuhrer himself would divert Roy's attention.

"Hey, Roy," Maes Hughes greeted him cheerfully from the hospital room.

"Don't you 'hey' me," Roy chided with only half-hearted seriousness. "You scared the hell out of me."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Maes said, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

Roy sighed and took a seat at his friend's bedside. "What the hell even happened to you?"

"I…honestly don't remember," Maes admitted.

This came as a surprise. _How can he not remember?_ Roy wondered, feeling slightly guilty for being skeptical, but the whole situation was odd, and he wanted straight answers. _He didn't lose that much blood, and he was pretty coherent on the phone with me._ "You asked where I was, and you sounded surprised when I told you I was packing my office in the Eastern Command Center," Roy told him, hoping to jog his memory a little. "You told me to call an ambulance, then said you'd fill me in later." His tone said, _It's later. So start filling me in._

Before Maes could reply, a small girl raced into the room and leapt onto Maes's bed, shouting "Daddy!" as she did so.

"Elicia, wait!" a woman's voice called.

"Hello, Gracia," Roy greeted her with a small smile.

"Oh, Colonel Mustang." Gracia Hughes nodded respectfully in his direction, though her primary focus was on her husband. "It's good to see you," she added as an afterthought before joining her daughter at Maes's side.

"Maybe we should continue this conversation later," Roy said pointedly, making it very clear that they _would_ continue it.

"Sure, Roy," Maes said, his voice slightly tired. "I'll see you later."

After saying a hasty goodbye to the Hughes family, Roy left the hospital with more questions than before. Why did Maes seem so reluctant to share any information about what happened? Anyone else would write it off as part of the recovery process, but Roy knew this man better than that. If there was something important weighing on his mind, Maes would most definitely share it with Roy as soon as possible, and he would do so without holding back. Unless…

"Hello, Colonel."

That voice. Roy turned around and reflexively saluted. "Fuhrer Bradley, sir." What was the Fuhrer doing here? Was there someone in the hospital he needed to see? Somehow, Roy doubted Bradley was here to visit Maes Hughes.

"How are you adjusting to your new office?" Bradley inquired.

"To be honest, I haven't had the chance to do anything with it yet," Roy admitted. "I came in early this morning and pretty much headed straight here from the station. I dropped a few things off in the office, but I wanted to check in on a friend as soon as possible."

"So you came in this morning." Bradley nodded thoughtfully, as if this bit of small-talk was an important piece of information. "You're here to see a friend, you said?"

"Yes, sir. Lieutenant Colonel Hughes was injured last night, but I don't know much more than that."

"The Lieutenant Colonel, you say? Hmm." Bradley looked Roy up and down as if scrutinizing him, then broke the awkward silence with a warm smile. "Well, I'm glad to see you made it here safely. Good luck, Colonel, and I imagine I'll be seeing you soon."

"Yes, sir." Roy saluted again, then headed for the door. Mildly curious as to what brought the king of their country to the hospital, he risked a glance over his shoulder to see Bradley heading straight for Maes's room. _Interesting._ The way Bradley was behaving, he didn't seem to have any knowledge of Maes's presence here before running into Roy. He was probably here for a different reason and wanted to pay respects before moving on to whatever it was that brought him there.

Without giving it another thought, Roy strolled outside, hands in pockets, with no particular desire to unpack his office or his apartment.

* * *

"Is the plan in motion, Wrath?" Lust asked as he joined her and Gluttony at the rendezvous point in the Third Laboratory.

"Yes," Bradley told her. "Envy is exactly where we need him, and as expected, Mustang went to the hospital to visit the Lieutenant Colonel."

Lust, sitting atop one of the empty cages that once contained some experiment or other, leaned forward a little and rested her chin on one of her hands. "Did you see anything?" she asked, referring to his Ultimate Eye.

Bradley nodded, his brow creasing a little. "Mustang told me everything I needed to know to indicate he was not at the scene that night. When he told me he arrived this morning, I could detect no dishonesty in his statements. He openly told me he was there to see Hughes and knew nothing about the situation aside from the injury."

"And he was honest with you?" Lust pressed.

"Completely," Bradley told her. "He wasn't hiding anything."

"Any particular emotions?" she asked.

"Concern, mostly," Bradley said with mild disdain. "His soft, weakling human concern for his comrade overshadowed any other thought or emotion he might have had. He was somewhat frustrated; I have every reason to believe he is completely in the dark about this, and he doesn't enjoy the ignorance any more than we do."

"This confirms what Envy was saying, then," Lust mused thoughtfully. "There could very well be a second Mustang. Based on Envy's account, the flame alchemist who attacked him not only knew his name, but also had purpose to his actions. This was not a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Somehow, he knew our plans."

Gluttony seemed to be half paying attention to the conversation, but his eyes lit up as a sudden thought occurred to him. "If there are two Mustangs, can I eat one of them?"

"No, you cannot," Lust said firmly.

Gluttony's face fell. It seemed like a perfectly reasonable idea to him.

"We need more information about the man who attacked Envy," Lust continued. "If we move forward with this plan, he will more than likely come to us."

"And if he doesn't?" Bradley prompted.

Lust narrowed her eyes and glanced momentarily at one of the cages. "Then we move to our backup plan and force him out of hiding. Either way, he will play right into our hands."

"He could be very useful," Bradley agreed, "but we can't make a move until we learn more about the situation. As planned, Pride and I will continue with our surveillance until we know enough to take action."

"Leave the surveillance to Pride for now," Lust told him. "You are needed in Dublith."

"Dublith?"

Lust nodded. "Yes. Our father wishes to speak with his prodigal son."

Bradley's eye narrowed and he gave a small nod. "Understood."

"Focus on Greed for now; don't worry yourself with Mustang," she said, her voice smooth and confident. "We have plenty of time before the Promised Day arrives."

* * *

"The first thing we need to do is ditch the uniforms," Roy told Riza as he went through the bag of clothing he had left in the TARDIS. "Our decorations would be dead giveaways." He finally settled with a long-sleeve white shirt, green vest, white scarf, and the usual long black trench coat. "We can probably just sleep in the TARDIS and use it for transportation so we'll be less likely to be seen in public."

"What exactly is your plan?" Riza asked, picking out a green shirt and white jacket. "You're working in Central right now. If you waltz into the hospital to talk to Hughes, you might run into yourself."

"I was thinking about that," Roy said, pulling on the trench coat. "No doubt the homunculi will be watching for me as well. I guess I'll just need the hawk's eye to watch my back."

"You're impossible," Riza said with a sigh. "All right. I'll do the best I can, but I can't be everywhere at once."

"I don't expect you to," Roy said, handing her an earpiece. "I just need you to be my eyes. I'm the only one who can feed the information to Hughes. I'd send the Doctor, but I doubt Hughes would trust him, and it would only lead to more questions. He needs someone he knows and trusts, so it has to be me."

Riza put the earpiece in place, feeling a knot form in her stomach. This was bigger than anything they had ever faced, and no matter how pissed off she was with Roy for causing it, she still worried for his safety. "Just be careful."

"I will." Roy stepped forward and tilted her chin up with his hand, smiling in that cocky way Riza pretended to hate. "I love you." His voice was tender and genuine, but there was a teasing note of '_you can't stay mad at me because you looooove me'_ in his voice.

"You're an idiot," she said for the umpteenth time, "but you're my idiot." When he leaned forward to kiss her, she didn't pull away.

"Do I get to see your soft side?" he asked, smiling broadly.

Geez, he could be such a dork sometimes. "No," she said as her face deadpanned. "You have a timeline to fix. Get to work." With that, she shooed him toward the TARDIS door and took a moment to select her weapons of choice. As she did so, she pretended she didn't see the injured puppy look in her fiancé's face. He'd brought this upon himself and probably deserved harsher, but she really couldn't stay mad at him for long. When she turned to face him again, guns in hand, all childishness had faded from Roy's demeanor to be replaced by firm resolve and grim determination. This was one thing about Roy Mustang that many people could never quite figure out; he had so many layers and sides to him, and though his different "personalities" seemed detached from each other, they were all part of who he was. Many people had seen his womanizing tendencies, but he usually put on the authoritative and somewhat egotistical face of a military officer; Riza was pretty much the only one to see the childish dork side of him. She was also the only one to ever see him cry, and vice versa, both of which had only happened on a few rare occasions. She hoped she would never see his vengeful side again, because it was one of the most painful things she had ever witnessed.

"Keep an eye on the hospital," Roy told her, "and see if you can find out where my past self is. I need to speak to Hughes."

"Be careful what you say," Riza warned him. "Knowing you, he probably paid Hughes a visit earlier."

"I'm sure I did," Roy said, still finding it hard to get used to having another version of himself around. "At least we know one thing that will give us an advantage."

"What's that?"

"I'm pretty sure I can predict my own movements, and you know me well enough to do the same. With what we know about how I think and act, we won't have much difficulty avoiding me."

"I see what you're saying, but you still sound ridiculous," Riza commented, sharing Roy's discomfort with the idea of past selves.

"Welcome to the world of paradoxes," the Doctor mused. He didn't need to point out that their discomfort was self-inflicted. If they hadn't messed with time, none of this would have happened. As it stood, they had a responsibility to make things right.

A sudden thought occurred to Roy as they headed for the TARDIS door. "Where are the Elric brothers right now?"

"They went to Dublith to meet with their teacher," Riza recalled. "They didn't find out about the murder until they returned to Central."

"Good. Things might get complicated if Ed was here." With that, Roy put on his earpiece and strolled outside, hands in pockets. As he walked down the familiar streets, he unintentionally attracted the attention of many young women, all of whom unsuccessfully tried to conceal their giggles. The laughter grew substantially in volume when Roy risked a wink at a pair of them.

Riza watched the scene and rolled her eyes. Here, in this timeline, Roy Mustang belonged to no one. Therefore, he had every right to radiate eligibility to anyone and everyone. This was the 1914 Roy Mustang, and if he acted any other way, he would seem suspicious. _Does he have to be so involved in being in character, though?_ Riza thought exasperatedly. With a shake of her head, Riza stepped outside and, unlike her counterpart, moved as subtly and silently as the shadows. Her eyes flickered around constantly, knowing there needn't be too much to worry about since most people would be in their homes at this time of evening, but still. Her task was to watch Roy's back, and since he obviously wasn't making any conscious effort to stay safe, she had to do all the reconnaissance herself.

Riza settled in place, checking to make sure she had her pistols, sniper rifle, and binoculars on hand. She then turned her attention to the hospital, confident in her position, which allowed her to see the entrance, the window to Hughes's room, and the hallways surrounding it. She would have a visual on Roy as well as anyone in the vicinity.

"I'm in position," she told him. "You're clear."

Roy subtly brushed his index finger across his cheek to indicate he understood, then walked casually into the hospital.

"Oh, Colonel Mustang. Back already?" a nurse asked.

Roy wasn't sure when his other self had come to visit, but it was probably sometime this morning. A second visit certainly wouldn't seem suspicious, so this nurse must be making small-talk. "Can you blame me?" he asked, a note of genuine concern in his voice.

"Of course not," she said, smiling kindly. "Do you want me to walk you to his room?"

Quickly remembering himself, Roy smiled broadly. "I would never turn down the company of a lovely woman," he said smoothly.

The nurse blushed slightly and gave him a small smile before quickly shuffling down the hallway. "This way, sir."

Roy imagined his fiancée was not enjoying this. Riza was probably perched somewhere, seeing and hearing everything. She had to understand his reasons, and he was sure she did, but he silently reminded himself to apologize to her later. This couldn't be comfortable for her.

"Hey, you're back," Maes greeted him with a grin.

"Of course." Roy stepped in and took a seat beside the bed. "How are you feeling? You look a lot better."

"Like hell I do," Maes said, chuckling a little. "Seriously, though, I'll be fine. How are you holding up?"

"Still adjusting," Roy said without missing a beat. "I look forward to working with you again." He paused a moment, trying to formulate a good way to introduce what was on his mind. "If you don't mind my asking…what happened to you?"

Maes's expression darkened ever so slightly. "I already told you, Roy: I can't remember."

"I know, but you need to try." Roy paused a moment. Something suddenly occurred to him, as if a voice was whispering in his head. "I'm planning to start an investigation on whatever attacked you. Anything you can tell me about that night would be helpful."

_That's a dangerous leap, Roy, _Riza thought, narrowing her eyes. What was he playing at?

"You're a good friend," Maes said, "but I don't know how much help I'll be."

"Do you remember what happened before you were attacked?" Roy pressed. "What were you doing? Were you reading something? Maybe investigating something?"

"I…was." Maes narrowed his eyes in concentration, then tightened his jaw. "I think the medicine wore off."

Roy quickly glanced at the time, then stood up. "I'll get the nurse," he said. As keen as he was on getting the mission done, he knew it would take time. If he jumped into it too quickly, he might make a mistake or arouse suspicion. This had to be a gradual process, however painstaking it may be. "It's late anyway. You should get some rest."

"Thanks, Roy," Maes said wearily. "I'm sorry I can't be more helpful right now."

"Don't worry about it. We'll talk later. For now, just focus on healing up." He gave Maes's good shoulder an affectionate shove, then subtly pressed something small into his hand. "Take care." When the nurse came in to check on Maes, Roy was already halfway toward the door. "He needs more medicine," he told her.

The nurse nodded. "Thank you. I'll take it from here; you should probably give him some space, Colonel."

"Will do." With a quick wave of farewell, Roy left the hospital and strolled casually back toward the TARDIS where Riza was already waiting for him.

"An investigation? Where did that come from?" she demanded.

"I don't know," Roy said, almost as puzzled as she was. "I just…knew it was going to happen somehow. Almost like I thought of it myself."

"You did," the Doctor told him, leaning against the console with his arms crossed. "A past version of yourself lives in this timeline. Whatever he says, does, or decides becomes part of your memories. If you focus hard enough, you might be able to connect with him."

"You mean I can remember where I was at this time, and what I was saying? Thinking?"

The Doctor nodded. "Riza as well. Don't forget; Colonel Roy Mustang is _you_. Whatever he does becomes something you _did_. You told Hughes you were planning an investigation because you already planned it."

"This could be useful," Roy determined.

"Can you tell where you are right now?" Riza asked.

Roy closed his eyes and focused his mind on the source of what cued him in about the investigation. Sure enough, he could see himself unpacking his office. "I'm in my office," he told her. "Fuery just came in. I'm giving him permission to go home."

"Can you remember anything from earlier today?"

Roy paused again and frowned slightly, fuzzily recalling the rapid trip to the hospital and the deep concern for his friend. He remembered questioning Hughes and being interrupted by little Elicia. "He didn't tell me anything this morning, either," Roy commented. "I was…I was frustrated. I didn't know how he could possibly forget everything after what he told me on the phone."

"Anything else?" Riza prompted.

"Yes." Roy closed his eyes. "I thought it was unlike Hughes to withhold information unless…unless he was being watched. I figured he might be paranoid about who was listening in to the conversation. Makes sense. That explains his behavior tonight. He really wasn't himself." Suddenly, Roy stiffened, and his eyes snapped open in alarm as another memory hit.

"What is it?" Riza asked, placing a hand on his arm and leaning forward a little. "What?"

Roy's hands tightened into fists and his eyes narrowed. "_He_ was at the hospital. I passed him in the hallway. He was heading for Hughes's room." Roy set his jaw and said through his teeth, "Fuhrer Bradley."

* * *

**Disclaimer: I still do not own Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood or Doctor Who. I'm not talented enough to create anime, but it sure as heck would be a fun job. I'd also like to give some credit to NotYourNormalFangirl, who reviewed Chapter 5 and, in doing so, inspired many great ideas for future chapters.**

**AN: And the plot thickens. As always, I welcome and love your input, ideas, critiques, compliments, and anything else you want to throw my way (as long as it doesn't resemble a flame, because I'm hoping the only flame in this story will come from the flame alchemist). Keep reading and keep reviewing; I love feedback, and your support is what motivates me to keep this story alive. :)**


	7. Chapter 7: Déjà Vu

**Chapter 7: Déjà Vu**

**For those who have already seen this chapter when I first posted it, sorry I had to take it down, but shortly after posting it, I realized I made a lot of big mistakes that needed to be fixed. I also had to make a minor change in Chapter 6, but this one was the biggest blunder.**

**Firstly, I forgot that Edward's encounter in the Fifth Laboratory took place before the death of Maes Hughes, so it would be a pile of rubble right now. Never thought it would be so hard to write a timey-wimey fanfic, but there you go. I went back to Chapter 6 and switched the rendezvous point to the Third Laboratory, where all the crazy stuff went down with Lust's death, the Immortal Legion, and Roy's vengeance against Envy. Also...I accidentally put Episode 17 in my disclaimer. It was Episode 19. I need to get my facts straight; sorry, guys!**

**Paradox Flux: It will be interesting, to say the least! ;) Thanks for the review!**

**AfghaniVeteranHedgehog: Thank you so much! Hope you like this next chapter! :D**

**Kenzie Perth: I love Greed. "And ladies! I don't fight women; I'm not that kinda guy!" :) Thanks for sticking with this story; I appreciate your support and am glad you like it so far!**

* * *

"Fuhrer Bradley was in the hospital?"

Roy nodded. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. After what I did to Envy, the homunculi are bound to be on high alert."

Riza sighed and started pacing a little, which was uncharacteristic of her. Roy hated to see her this agitated; everything they were dealing with was clearly taking a toll on her. When all of this was over, he would do whatever she wanted, no questions asked. He doubted there was anything he could really do to make it up to her, but he had to try. For the time being, all they could do was focus on their mission.

"The homunculi certainly complicate things," Roy mused, "but I think my past self is a bigger obstacle right now."

"How so?" Riza asked, stopping her pacing to look at him.

"Our original plan was for me to feed information to Hughes, but I can't easily do that when my past self is in the dark about all of this," he pointed out. "Whatever I tell Hughes would directly contrast with what my past self knows, so there's no way to keep my presence here a secret."

Riza sighed, then slowly sank to a sitting position on the floor, lost in thought. "Neither of us can do very much with Hughes except protect him," she agreed, "because he will have regular contact with our past selves." After a moment's pause, she stood up and crossed over to her bags, where she'd left some materials to clean her equipment. With all the bad news floating around, she wanted to do something useful with her hands. It helped her focus. "We would be putting ourselves at risk if we reveal ourselves to him, because he spends a lot of time with you."

"True," Roy said thoughtfully. "Hughes aside, what about someone who doesn't have regular contact with our past selves? Or, specifically, someone who doesn't have regular contact with anyone?"

Riza didn't look up from her cleaning as she processed the new idea. "The homunculi. You're saying we handle the homunculi ourselves?"

"In a way, yes." As Roy watched the steady, deliberate movements of Riza's hands, he was momentarily distracted from his train of thought. "Want me to help with that?"

A flash of defiance crossed her features. "Stick to your alchemy and keep your paws off my weapons."

"Okay, okay, fair enough," Roy said, raising his hands slightly and suppressing a chuckle. "Anyway, I was thinking we could make it easier for the people in this timeline by eliminating some of the homunculi. Even out the chess board, in a manner of speaking. We both know how effective my attacks are, right? So we isolate one, take it down quickly, and do so in a way that doesn't alert the others. If we decrease their forces, then everyone on our side will have a better chance of winning, and if that happens, the timeline will fix itself."

Riza was quiet for a few moments as she considered his proposal. After slowly reassembling one of her pistols, she finally looked her fiancé in the eye. "That could work. Let's just hope Hughes doesn't die in the process."

"We'll make sure that doesn't happen," Roy said firmly.

Riza narrowed her eyes. "If it comes down to it, though, I need to know that you would save the timeline over Maes Hughes."

Roy swallowed, thinking of all the people that could die if he made the wrong choice under pressure. "All right," he said at last. "We'll do everything we can to save the timeline without letting Hughes die, but…but if I have to choose, I won't make the same mistake again."

"Good," Riza said, setting her weapon aside and crossing the room to embrace him. "That was all I needed to hear."

* * *

"Maes Hughes had a visitor tonight."

The father gazed down at Pride with mild interest, though his constantly-neutral expression did not change to match any particular reaction to this news. "Did he?"

Pride nodded and unfolded a small piece of paper. "Roy Mustang left this in the hospital room. It's an ouroboros symbol."

"Interesting." The father leaned forward a little, deep in thought. "Did this man seem any different from the one who visited this morning?"

"In some ways, yes," Pride told him. "He seems to know more, and there are small differences in the way he acts."

"Learn everything you can about him," the father ordered. "He is not to meddle with our plans, but if he can be used, then we will do so."

Pride smiled a little, never quite getting over the satisfaction of being the first, oldest, and most trusted homunculus. As his name suggests, he always took great pride in the ways he made his father proud. "I will not let you down, Father," he promised. "I have a theory you may want to consider."

The father maintained his pensive expression, though there was a hint of interest in his eyes. "Go on."

"I think the second Mustang has opened the Portal."

The father's eyes widened a little, which was a unique shift from his usual blank expression. "Are you certain?" he asked, sounding far more intent than usual.

Pride hesitated, knowing the consequences of providing false information. "It hasn't been proven yet," he clarified, "but once he comes out of hiding again, I'll continue to watch him closely. As soon as I find proof that he has indeed opened the Portal, you will be the first to know about it."

"Very good, Pride," the father said, leaning back in his chair. "Go forth and do my bidding." After uttering this final order, the father descended into deep, uninterrupted thought once more.

* * *

It took a few days of planning and preparation, but Roy and Riza wanted to make sure they did this correctly. Fortunately, they had enough time before the Promised Day to take action against the enemy, but even so, they knew things would get more difficult after the first homunculus was eliminated. The homunculi would, no doubt, step up their game when they caught wind of someone interfering with their plans. In order to decrease the chances of suspicion, Roy and Riza were careful to stay in the dark for a few days. Maybe the homunculi would lose interest in the second Roy who attacked Envy on the night of Hughes's near-murder, or perhaps their guard would go down when they realize he is no longer a problem. Either way, Roy hoped they would direct their focus elsewhere if he stayed out of range for the time being.

Now that their time of hiding had passed—rather quickly thanks to the TARDIS—Roy and Riza made their way to the Third Laboratory. They would, no doubt, find homunculi nested there. With Roy's unique abilities, they would have no problem getting in, raising hell, destroying the evidence, and getting out.

"It could be a trap," Roy murmured, creeping closer to the lab under cover of night.

Riza narrowed her eyes, feeling chills run up and down her spine at the sight of the facility that had almost claimed Roy's life, and later, his sanity. "Of course it is," she said, "but it's the best place to start, right?"

Roy nodded. "Right. We're the only ones who can put the timeline back in its place, and since Hughes is alive, my past self is less likely to come here and kill Lust. It falls on us to get it done. I did this before when I was half-dead, so this shouldn't be too hard. As always, watch my back. Make sure the coast is clear, and once we're inside, stay close."

"Right." Riza scanned the perimeter once more, but she could see nothing. "You're clear."

Thanks to his trip through the Portal, Roy had no trouble creating a makeshift door into the lab. Trusting Riza to cover him, he put all his focus into the transmutation as he clapped his hands together to form the familiar circle, then pressed them against the back wall. As his gloved hands connected with the material, he felt its composition and carefully rearranged a desired section of it into a door. The process took mere seconds, and from an outsider's perspective, Roy had merely touched the wall, created an electric current of flashing blue light, and left a door in its wake.

Without bothering to look around, Roy strode through the door and used a similar process on one of the walls to get to the secret white room where, no doubt, he would find the homunculi. "Keep your eyes peeled," he hissed to Riza, who was mere steps behind him. "This place is probably guarded."

"That it is," a rough, melodramatic voice announced. "I am Number Sixty-Six, and I'm in charge of guarding this laboratory from intruders. I must say, it's been a really long time since I've gotten to chop anything up. I'll enjoy cutting you into tiny little pieces!" The voice was soon accompanied by a short, heavy-set suit of armor bearing two large butcher-style knives.

Roy was not in the mood for messing around. Despite having worked extensively with Barry the Chopper, Roy saw no need for his services since Maria Ross would never be framed for Hughes's murder. "Is that so?" In one smooth movement, he clapped his hands together, then snapped his fingers to activate the ignition fibers in his gloves. With his knowledge of flame alchemy, Roy easily manipulated the oxygen density in the air to create a long-range explosion directly inside and around the suit of armor. Within seconds, Number Sixty-Six was a pile of metal scraps scattered about the room. In a show of mercy, Roy made sure to destroy the blood seal binding Barry to the armor so the soul would not be trapped in a useless pile of metal. "Now for the _real_ reason we came here."

No sooner had the words left Roy's mouth than long, black talons pierced straight into his back and through his stomach. Just as quickly as they'd arrived, the spears retracted, leaving Roy frozen in place, shock plastered on his features and blood seeping through his clothing.

"_Roy, no!_" Riza shrieked, shooting rapidly in the direction the talons had come from before rushing to steady him. "Roy, look at me. _Look me in the eye_."

"I…I'm fine…" he stammered, knowing the rapid blood loss would soon make him dizzy and therefore useless. He had to end this quickly before he lost consciousness.

A familiar woman sidled out of the shadows, bearing a few small bullet holes in her face and chest, all of which emitted red sparks as her body regenerated itself. "The real reason you came here, hmm? I assume you were talking about me."

"We need to get out of here," Riza whispered, trying to ignore her rapidly-pounding heart. Her whole body itched for battle and, though she hated to admit it to herself, vengeance. Riza couldn't help but note the irony of the situation; not only was this the place Lust had died last time, but it had also been the place Roy nearly became a slave to vengeance. She wanted to rip Lust apart for nearly killing Roy a second time, but her first instinct was to get him to safety before it was too late. She knew from experience that, without Roy's help, she was virtually useless against Lust's abilities.

Roy shook his head, feeling his vision start to blur. He had to make this quick. Trusting Riza to pick up his signal, Roy tapped his thumb and middle finger together twice, silently telling her to be his eyes and direct his flame attacks. Setting his jaw, Roy mustered all his energy to clap his hands together, snap his fingers, and direct his flame at the enemy.

Lust screamed and writhed on the ground, unable to regenerate fast enough between Roy's incessant flame attacks. Her shrieks were all too familiar; Roy was not entirely thrilled at the notion of having to kill this woman twice. Given the circumstances, it had been enough of a struggle the first time around. The identical location did not help the eeriness of the situation.

As the screaming continued, Lust made every possible attempt to go on the offensive again. At one point, Riza had to pull Roy back to prevent a lethal stab in the head. The pain started to fade as Roy's body continuously tried to shut down; each time Roy killed Lust, he found it even more difficult to stay on his feet and prevent the darkness from taking him. By the time he made the final blow, which was almost entirely directed by Riza, his mind was so far gone that he barely even registered he was done. Riza had to stop him from sending another flame attack on the disintegrating homunculus.

"You killed me," Lust hissed. "I hate losing." Riza shuddered at the continued sense of irony. The slippery homunculus had uttered these same words the first time Roy killed her. "You know so much more than you should," Lust went on, her words becoming as wispy as her fading figure. "I can see it in your eyes. I look forward to the day when those eyes become wide with agony."

This was too much déjà vu for Riza's liking. It clearly unsettled Roy as well, for the sound of Lust's voice seemed to trigger a fight-reaction in the alchemist's foggy mind. Riza quickly placed her hand over his and applied enough gentle pressure to lower his arm. "Roy, it's okay—you won. She's dead now. Stay awake—I'm taking you back to the TARDIS." Her eyes watered a little, but she quickly blinked away the tears before they could fall. She needed to be able to see clearly in order to get him out of there. As she pulled him toward the door he had made, she felt him go limp in her arms. "Stay with me, Roy," she snapped, refusing to let her fear put them in more danger. It was no easy task to carry a man almost twice her weight, but the TARDIS was so close to the Third Laboratory that she did not have to carry him far.

The Doctor was waiting for them. He took one look at Roy's condition and practically leaped to the console. "There's a nearby planet with a high-quality hospital facility," the Doctor informed her. "Obviously, I can't take you out of this timeline," he rambled as he pushed buttons and pulled levers, "but I can take you anywhere in space."

Riza only half-heard him as she dutifully applied pressure to Roy's injuries. "You lost a lot of blood," she murmured. "But you're still breathing. You never gave up on me, so don't you dare give up on yourself. I won't let you die."

Neither Riza nor the Doctor was aware that the TARDIS was being watched by a small boy swathed in shadows.

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own Brotherhood, nor do I own the scenes based upon Episode 19: Death of the Undying.**

**AN: Lots of crazy stuff going down! To those who read the previous version of this chapter, I'm very sorry about all the mistakes. There are a lot of things to take into consideration when writing a time-related fanfic because it's so timey-wimey that details can get lost or messed up. For those who are reading this chapter for the first time, I hope you enjoyed it! Basically, I had to change the Fifth Laboratory and its details to the Third Laboratory and its details since its destruction happened before Hughes's death.**

**Also, sorry this chapter is shorter than the last one, but I usually keep them to about this length. Hope you enjoyed it anyway! Also, I have something pretty big planned for the next one, so instead of cramming it all into this chapter, I'm going to be evil and make you guys wait. Thanks for reading, and I hope you like what I've got going here! It's fun as heck to write. ;)**


	8. Chapter 8: Life Rewritten

**Chapter 8: Life Rewritten**

**Wow, it sure has been a long time since I updated this! Don't worry, I still have plenty of ideas for this story, and I have every intention to finish it. It might not necessarily happen quickly, but any support is well-appreciated and serves as motivation to keep it going!**

**Kenzie Perth: Pride is one of the bigger obstacles, which therefore makes him that much more fun to write. Thanks for your continued support!**

**Braxiatel Flux: Oh no, it makes perfect sense! A goal of mine is to write descriptions so vivid (yet not so lengthy that they're boring) to basically make it seem like readers are watching the anime. So if that's the perception you got, then I'm doing my job right! :)**

**MomoPeachFlower: Why thank you! :D**

* * *

"He killed Lust?! How could he kill Lust?"

Pride, Wrath, and Gluttony—who was nearly inconsolable—all stood before their father to discuss what had just happened. Greed was chained to near-immobility several feet above the ground, glaring daggers at the father. Like the previous timeline, Sloth was far away, working against his will, but this time around, Pride was present instead of Envy and Lust.

"Her death is a major setback," Wrath agreed, "but she should have known better than to face the flame alchemist alone. His attacks on Envy proved his competence in battle against homunculi."

Gluttony still couldn't get past the loss of his companion. "But why Lust?" he whimpered. "I want to eat him now." His voice was choked with barely-controlled sobs. "That'll show him," he mumbled, barely-audible.

"You will not eat him," the father said firmly. "He can and will be one of my sacrifices."

"Hey, Pops," Greed called, "you forget about me?"

"Certainly not, my son," the father said, turning a stony gaze on him. "You have betrayed me, your loving father, but I will give you a chance to redeem yourself."

Greed didn't bother to conceal his snort of laughter. "Oh, really? And what makes you think I'll accept your gracious offer, _Dad_?" he snickered.

The father was not amused. "You are a part of my soul, and as such, you will work for me once again as a loyal, dutiful son. The other Roy Mustang must not be allowed to interfere with our plans; in fact, he will become a part of them very soon. I ask you to play a part in his capture."

"Ha!" Greed threw his head back and laughed loudly at the ceiling. "That's a good one! You _really think_ I'd become your slave again? As if!"

"Is that a no?" the father asked, his calm voice unchanged and unfazed by Greed's audacious behavior.

Greed's laughter only increased in volume. "That's a _hell no_, Pops. If you're so powerful and all-knowing, you shouldn't even have to ask!" Greed's cocky grin twisted into a sneer. "Part of your soul. Please. You know as well as I do that you _made_ me this way, so it's your own damn fault that my ambitions go beyond being your stupid little puppet like those freaks." He could barely move, but he managed to slightly jerk his head toward the gathered homunculi.

"Are you finished?" the father asked coolly.

"Oh yeah," Greed scoffed. "I'm finished with _you_."

"So be it, then. You brought this upon yourself," the father said, activating the vat of bubbling lava beneath the dangling homunculus.

Greed swallowed nervously, then plastered the grin back on his face. As Lust had done, he would die with his pride intact. "Geez, talk about cheesy," he sneered. As his body made contact with the hot liquid, Greed's screams echoed off the walls. "Why don't you come on in, kids? The water's _fine_!" he cried. "Nice and hot, just like the flames in hell!"

* * *

Many worlds away, Roy was checked into a hospital so massive that both Amestrians could almost swear it was large enough to hold Central City three times over. With a little help from the psychic paper, the Doctor had no trouble getting them inside and situated with the best medical care the facility had to offer. The staff not only took the time to revive Roy and heal his injuries, but they also managed to find and eradicate other minor physiological problems that would otherwise have caused trouble in the future. Once Roy was settled in one of the recovery rooms, Riza and the Doctor came in to visit him and plan their next move.

"Technically, Lust isn't supposed to be dead yet," Riza commented.

"I guess we're ahead of schedule, then," Roy said determinedly. "As long as we get the ending right, it doesn't really matter how we get there."

Riza's brow furrowed a little. "It matters if you _die_, Roy," she pointed out. There was an impending lecture in her flashing eyes and stubborn face.

"I know, I know," Roy said quickly, trying to put this particular flame out before it escalated. "I was careless and stupid, and I left my back wide open."

Taken aback by how open he was to admit this, Riza sat in silence at his bedside, mouth parted slightly as she collected her thoughts. "Well…yeah," she said, backing off from her pre-determined scolding. "We have to stay alive if we're going to make this work."

The Doctor, who was leaning against a nearby wall, found it appropriate to cut in. "You know, you're going to die either way."

Riza's head whipped around. "What do you mean?"

"You've created a paradox," the Doctor explained. "When you change the past, you set an entirely different reality in motion. The Roy and Riza living the altered timeline will be different people with very different memories. When all of this is over, you will both fade along with the world you know."

Riza subconsciously placed a hand over Roy's, considering what this may mean. "So our wedding…" Her troubled brown eyes met Roy's black ones, and for a few fleeting moments, neither had to speak to know what the other was thinking. The wedding may or may not happen depending on the outcome of the new timeline. If they succeed, Amestris will be saved from the homunculi and the father, but it will not be saved the same way it was before. For all they knew, everything could be drastically different. Maes Hughes, Colonel Mustang, and Lieutenant Hawkeye could all very well end up sacrificing their lives to save the country. Riza already knew what she would do if Roy died in combat; she would finish the fight to the best of her ability before joining him in death, one way or another.

"This is what happens when you tamper with time," the Doctor said softly, recognizing the unspoken dread running rampant through the couple. "I tried to warn you. There is no concrete way to predict the outcome of an altered timeline."

"Then we'll have to continue to do everything we can to set it right," Roy said, clenching his hands into tight fists. "I don't care if I die in the process. We owe it to the people in this new timeline to prevent their suffering."

Riza nodded. "We may not be able to put the timeline back in balance, but we can at least make sure the outcome is constructive for everyone involved."

"Now that's what I'd like to hear!" the Doctor said enthusiastically as he clapped his hands together. "What do you say we head back and get to work?"

As they left the hospital, it was certainly not lost on the Amestrians that this facility was technologically-advanced enough to detect and prevent almost any potential illness and, as such, would be infinitely helpful to their world. If only they could take some of it with them, but the Doctor was very firm on the matter. They had caused enough trouble as it was; the focus had to return to cleaning the mess they had already made.

* * *

The homunculi remained silent as Greed rejoined the father's soul. When the deed was done, the father looked upon his remaining children. "He was wrong to defy me," he said simply, "just as Lust was wrong to face the flame alchemist. If you are dutiful to your father, you will not suffer as they have."

Pride nodded seriously. "Yes, Father. What will you have us do?"

The father sat back thoughtfully in his chair and rested his chin on the back of one of his hands. "You say the other Mustang was taken away in a blue phone booth?"

"Yes," Pride affirmed. "The blue box vanished right before my eyes. It could be anywhere now. Mustang was fatally injured."

"Lust should not have damaged him so heavily," the father said tightly. "He must not die, nor must he be allowed to leave. All of you know this."

"Of course," Wrath said, his eye narrowed. "So you need him alive, then. I assume his physical wellbeing is of no consequence?"

The father nodded slowly. "As long as he is alive and will remain alive until the Promised Day, it matters not how you bring him to me."

"As it stands, we have no location on him," Wrath admitted, "but knowing how Mustang thinks, it will only be a matter of time before he reveals himself again. If he really is from the future, as we all speculate, then there's no doubt in my mind that he's trying to halt our plans."

"This makes me wonder if we were successful," Pride mused. "Perhaps he has come from the future so we will not succeed again."

"That may very well be the case," Wrath agreed. "He can tell us himself when we have him here. For now, we set up a trap for him. If he and his dog think they can take us down, then we'll give him the fight he wants."

* * *

The TARDIS landed in a quiet place in Central City, sometime in the early evening. "We may have moved forward a couple of days," the Doctor admitted. "The TARDIS is fantastic in every respect, but she's not always perfect."

"If that's the case," Roy mused, "the Elric brothers probably returned to Central by now. Normally, they would have just found out about Hughes's death."

"I don't think you should do any fighting right now," Riza warned him. "You need time to recover."

"Time's running out," Roy objected. "The homunculi had plenty of time to plan while I was in the hospital. No doubt they'll be expecting me. We need to switch tactics."

Riza crossed her arms. "I'm listening."

"We go on the offensive. No more sneaking around. If I'm out in the open, the homunculi will jump on the opportunity to fight me. Right now, I'm a threat to their plans. As long as that stands, they will want to face me."

"That's a rather bold move," Riza said pointedly. "What if your plan fails? If they kill you, it's over."

"Not necessarily," Roy told her. "First off, I'm a candidate for sacrifice—more so since I've already opened the Portal. If anything, they'll try to capture me. If they _do_ kill me, though, it falls on you to get the mission done."

"Don't talk like that!" Riza snapped. "I won't let you die."

"If I do, though, you need to stay focused," Roy said firmly. "If they kill me, you need to find my past self immediately. It's a long shot, but since I'm from the future, he would probably still be alive. You need to tell him everything and get his help to end the homunculi. The other alchemists can help as well, but flame alchemy is necessary to beat the enemy. Understood?"

Riza clenched her jaw. She hated that the burden fell on him to save Amestris, but with the way things stood, no one could help them. "Understood."

* * *

"I can't believe Lieutenant Colonel Hughes was attacked and no one told me," Edward complained, strolling down the street with his brother by his side. "Who the hell do they think I am? A kid or something?" he demanded, popping the last bit of bread in his mouth.

As usual, Alphonse hoped to smooth his brother's unstable range of emotions without necessarily lying to him. "Well, you do tend to overreact sometimes," he said carefully.

Edward turned on him and punched his brother's metal arm in a spurt of irritation. "I do not!" he objected. Realizing his own ironic actions, he let out a long sigh and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Whatever. At least I can make it up to him for all the times he visited me in the hospital. I don't know how many wife and daughter stories I can take in one sitting, though."

Before Alphonse could reply, he noticed a flash of movement in the corner of his vision. "Brother, look out!" he cried, grabbing Edward's arm and flinging him before the attacker could crush him.

Edward twisted mid-air and landed on a car, heart pounding. "Thanks, Al!" he cried breathlessly. He only had a moment to breathe before his attacker came at him again, shattering the car in millions of tiny fragments as he leapt away. The man was moving fast, but Edward had enough time to register the identity before rejoining his brother and dropping into a defensive stance. "Back for another round, huh?" he taunted. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" As soon as the words left his mouth, he instantly regretted them. "DID I SERIOUSLY JUST CALL MYSELF SHORT?!" he demanded.

"Not now, brother!" Alphonse shouted, leaping away as the man came in for another offensive attack. "We need to lead him away from the civilians!"

"Your judgment day has come, Fullmetal Alchemist," the bulky Ishvalan informed him.

"Right. Civilians. Hey, Scar!" Edward shouted. "Judge this way, will ya? There are innocent people here who really don't need to be a part of this!" Convinced he had Scar's attention, Edward took off running toward a nearby alleyway, using his alchemy as necessary to gain more ground. He turned the corner just in time to barrel right into his commanding officer and crash in a heap on the ground.

"Fullmetal? What the hell are you doing?" Roy demanded, pushing him off. "What's the big hurry?"

"Oh, nothing much," Edward panted. "Just staying alive!" He whipped around just in time to face Scar head-on. As the Ishvalan turned the corner and sprinted toward him, Edward clapped his hands together and slammed them into the ground, trying to unbalance the attacker. Scar somersaulted into the air to avoid Edward's alchemy before landing a precise kick to the young alchemist's chest.

With the breath knocked out of him, Edward did not have enough time to recover before the speedy Ishvalan planted a knee on his chest and pinned him to the ground. "And now you die, Edward Elric," Scar growled, placing his hand over Edward's face. In the heat of the moment, Scar did not acknowledge Roy's presence; he mentally wrote him off as another civilian. Given the flame alchemist was clothed as such, Scar had no reason to pay the bystander any notice.

"Brother!" Alphonse shrieked, leaping at Scar from behind but knowing with sharp dread that he was too late.

Without thinking, Roy clapped his hands together, snapped his fingers, and sent a stream of flame directly into Scar's eyes. The Ishvalan's hand flew away from Edward's head and toward his own face as the searing pain scorched his eye sockets. "Flame alchemist!" he screamed. In a rush of panic, he destroyed the ground beneath himself and Edward, causing both to fall dangerously.

Roy reflexively reached forward and grabbed Edward's wrist before the Fullmetal Alchemist could fall to his death. Gripping the boy's automail arm and carefully balancing his stance to prevent an accident, Roy managed to pull Edward out of harm's way, but Scar was not so lucky. The Ishvalan who had served such an instrumental role in the battle of Amestris lay motionless and broken at the bottom of the pit. Scar was dead.

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own FMA Brotherhood, which means I also don't own the recreation of the scene from Episode 14: Those Who Lurk Underground.**

**AN: After the mishap in the previous chapter, I made sure to do my research this time. I'm not perfect, though, so if you guys ever catch anything in this timeline re-creation that doesn't match up (kind of like my use of the Fifth Laboratory when it was already destroyed by that time), please don't hesitate to let me know! I try to do my fanfics as true to the original canon as possible, so feel free to correct me. Of course, once the story progresses, the timeline will be twisted and changed enough that I won't have to worry about accuracy, but for now, I want to make sure I portray the events accurately. Hope you enjoyed, and thanks for reading! Extra thanks for reviewing!**


	9. Chapter 9: Teaming Up

**Chapter 9: Teaming Up**

**Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated in a while. School has been pretty hectic, but summer is HERE! I'm still pretty excited about this fic, so I'm going to keep it up whenever I can.**

**Braxiatel Flux: Roy's pretty well-aware, and definitely not happy with himself. The Doctor's not too thrilled either. Thanks for your continued support!**

**Just a guy: Thank you so much for your kind words! The wedding was a lot of fun to write. I love digging deeper into these two characters; there's so much going on with them! :) As for the Doctor, he tends to have that effect on people. He pops up, and things get interesting! :D**

**Kimblee's Little Bird: Aww, thank you! Oh yes, Royai is my OTP! I'm so obsessed with those two. They're amazing. And you're amazing! Thanks for reviewing!**

* * *

"You killed him."

Edward crossed his arms and glared accusingly at the flame alchemist. Although the situation was very serious, Edward half-expected Roy to snap a snide comment: something along the lines of "_I saved your life! A thank-you would be nice!_" or "_Watch your tone. I'm still your commanding officer._"

Roy said neither of these things. In fact, he said nothing at all. His eyes were glazed over, his mouth was parted slightly, and he had a strange, uncharacteristically faraway look on his face as though he could not or would not register what was happening around him.

"Colonel?" Edward's voice held a note of concern, though he would never admit to it later, nor would he ever admit that Roy's behavior was scaring him a little. "Hey, Colonel, snap out of it." Edward waved a gloved hand emphatically in front of his superior officer's face.

Reflexively, Roy batted it away. "Stop that."

"I'd love to," Edward said, all snark returning to his voice, "but you just killed a man, though by the look on your face, it's like the world just ended or something."

Roy sighed. "You have no idea."

"Then tell us," Alphonse prompted him.

Again, Edward expected Roy to fire back with "_Don't you dare give me orders!_" but once again the flame colonel was silent.

"You might as well spill," Edward told him.

"It's too complicated for that," Roy said through his teeth.

"You mean like the way you clapped your hands before you transmuted?" Alphonse blurted. "Or how your gloves don't have transmutation circles?"

Roy blanched and shoved his hands in his pockets. Edward's eyes widened. "What did you do, Colonel?" he demanded. "Tell me!"

"I don't have to answer to you," Roy scowled.

Before the tension could rise any further, a gunshot split the air and interrupted their thoughts. "That's enough," Riza said firmly. She carefully picked her way around the rubble before joining the trio alongside the pit. Her piercing amber eyes and authoritative glare kept everyone silent as she assessed the situation. One look at Scar's body and Roy's guilty expression told her everything she needed to know. "Roy, you didn't."

"It was an accident," he said lamely.

"Will someone _please _fill me in?" Edward cut in, letting his impatience get the better of him.

Roy's gaze flickered to Edward, then back to Riza, who shook her head. "Absolutely not," she said firmly.

"You said yourself we can't do this alone," Roy pointed out.

"So you made a spectacle in front of the Elrics without consulting me?"

Something was definitely off, Edward decided, if Roy Mustang had to consult his assistant before doing something. The colonel could be rash, yes, and Riza often had to clean up after his rash decision-making, but neither Edward nor Alphonse could recall a time when Roy was expected to directly report to Riza.

"What's done is done," Roy said impatiently. "I didn't do it on purpose, but that's water under the bridge now. What matters is they know too much. Either we tell them, or they run around making assumptions of their own, which is the last thing we need right now. What we need are allies."

Riza sighed and put the gun back in its holster. "Yes, they do know too much," she agreed reluctantly, "and since we can't exactly waltz inside Central Command to look for answers, they could be useful to the mission."

"I'm glad you see it my way," Roy said, allowing a hint of cheekiness to enter his voice.

Riza nudged him and turned her attention back to the Elrics. "You boys come with us. It's not safe out here in the open," she said, sounding resigned. "We need to talk privately; it's a bit of a long story."

* * *

"The scar-faced Ishvalan is dead," Pride informed Wrath and Gluttony.

Gluttony, who had kept a rather sullen demeanor since Lust's death, brightened slightly. "Can I eat him?" he asked.

"Not right now," Pride said firmly. "The scene is surrounded by Military Police. Besides, you need to lie low until the next phase of the plan. We all do."

"The plan is in motion, then?" Wrath asked. "Has Mustang returned?"

Pride nodded. "Yes. He was the one who killed the Ishvalan. I watched everything play out from the shadows."

"Where is he?" Wrath assumed Mustang was no longer at the scene of Scar's death if Pride was reporting to them now. "What is his exact location?"

"He took his dog and the Elric brothers with him to an alleyway on the north side of Central City. He thinks he can hide from me." Pride grinned devilishly. "Rest assured I'll be keeping an eye on him. He's about to reveal everything to the Elric brothers, and I'll be there to watch it happen."

* * *

Roy could not see Edward's face in the pitch darkness and therefore could not judge the boy's reaction to all of this, but the silence from both boys indicated they were taking it in and weighing heavily on what they were told. Roy hated being unable to watch Edward's expressions, dramatic though they may be, but the group had to have the conversation in the dark in case Pride was trying to listen in. As long as there was no light source, there were no shadows for the slippery homunculus to use for long-distance surveillance.

"So how exactly do we fit into your plan?" Edward asked at last. His voice was strangely calm despite the severity of the situation.

"For now, we need eyes and ears on the inside," Roy told him. "The infiltration goes all the way to the senior staff, so be careful. You can't trust anyone in uniform."

"General Mustang and I will continue going after the homunculi in the meantime," Riza added.

Roy nodded. "Yes, you are both to report to us whenever you can. Along with surveillance, you will be the ones to spread the word to those we can trust. I can't speak to Hughes, my other self, or anyone else directly about it, but if you find ways to feed information to them without blowing our cover, we'll be that much closer to stopping the corruption and saving the country."

"How are we supposed to do that?" Alphonse asked.

Roy shrugged. "That's up to you. Be creative. Knowing what I did last time this happened, I'm pretty sure my counterpart will work with you given the right motivation. The same goes for my team. We'll need as many allies as possible to make this work, because the fate of the country is in our hands."

"Geez, no pressure or anything," Edward muttered. "This is pretty far-fetched, you know that? If I hadn't seen the Truth, I'd think you were crazy."

"Colonel? Ah…I mean…General?" Alphonse hesitated. "Can I ask you something?"

"Go on."

"I know the country comes first, and this might sound kind of silly to ask at a time like this, but since you're from the future, and the future won't happen anyway, so it wouldn't hurt if I knew…uh…I was wondering if you could tell me if Ed and I got our bodies back in your timeline."

The question was followed by silence as Roy and Riza collected their thoughts on the subject. Finally, Riza said softly, "Yes, you did."

Both brothers snapped to attention. "Really?" they asked simultaneously. "How?"

Alphonse quickly backtracked. "I mean…if it's not too much to ask. I know the mission is more important."

"No, no, it's all right," Riza reassured them. "We both know how important that pursuit has always been to you."

"It happened during the final battle," Roy began. "Al, your body is waiting in the Portal as we speak."

Alphonse perked up. "It is? It wasn't lost?"

"No, it's there, and whether your brother realizes it or not, he is actually helping sustain it," Roy explained. "During the battle, Ed was almost killed by the father. Alphonse, you sacrificed yourself by destroying the blood seal and restoring Ed's right arm."

"Because I gave it up to bring his soul back," Edward murmured.

"Exactly. Ed defeated the father and went back to the Portal to get Alphonse out. You had to give something up in order to bring him home, so you gave up your alchemy gate, and with it, your ability to transmute."

After a moment of silence, Edward piped up, "Of course! We need to do that!"

"Brother, wait." Alphonse reached into the darkness and put a hand on his brother's arm. "We can't. Not yet."

"Why the hell not?" Edward demanded. "We can finally get your body back!"

"Yeah, but at what cost? If I get my body back now, you won't be able to use your alchemy to help save the country," Alphonse pointed out. "Also, as long as I have this body, I'll continue to be stronger and of better use to the mission. We both need to be at our best if we're going to save everyone."

"What if you die?" Edward demanded.

"The only way to kill me is by the blood seal, remember? My soul would just go back to the Portal. I'll wait for you there."

Edward scowled. "I hate that you're right. Fine, we'll wait a little longer, but when the country is safe, we're getting your body back, you got that?"

"Of course," Alphonse said, sounding pleased.

"One more thing, though," Edward said. "What if I die?"

"Simple enough," Roy replied. "Don't die."

"Yeah, sure. No one ever plans to die, you know," Edward muttered.

"Then I'll make you a promise," Roy said, gently placing a hand on Edward's shoulder. "If I make it out of this, I'll go to the Portal myself to get your brother. No matter how things turn out, I'm going to die."

Edward frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Because of how drastically the timeline is changing, Roy and I won't exist anymore," Riza explained.

"Not like this, at least," Roy added. "You'll still have Colonel Mustang around, but he will be a different man with different memories than me. Before I leave this timeline and cease to exist, I_ will_ get your brother his body back. I promise you."

Edward leaned back a little. "In that case, we'll help you," he decided. "Can we find a better place to meet, though?"

He had a point. The dumpster was more than a little cramped, and the smell didn't need explaining. "Okay, fine," Roy said evenly. "Now that you know everything, I think it's safe to say we can meet in the TARDIS from this point forward."

"Wait a minute, time out," Edward jumped in. "There's one more thing you didn't tell us."

Roy crossed his arms. "Oh? And what might that be? I'm pretty sure I told you everything you need to know."

"What did you lose when you went through the Portal?" Edward asked, a note of gravity entering his voice.

Roy stiffened and, for once, felt relieved the boys could not see his face at the moment. He hated reliving that particular memory, and had purposefully glossed over that bit when he was briefing the Elrics. "My eyesight," he said faintly. "I lost my eyesight. When my country needed me the most, I was completely useless."

"I'm so sorry," Alphonse said gently. "If you don't mind…how did you get it back?"

Roy closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair, feeling more uncomfortable by the second. These boys had a right to know, though, so he couldn't hold back now. "Dr. Marcoh healed me with a Philosopher's Stone," he admitted. The gasp from both brothers was exactly what Roy expected, so he forced himself to swallow his pride and press on. "I'm not proud of it, but I had important work to do in Ishval and Amestris as a whole. It doesn't matter anymore; all that work is worthless now that I changed the timeline. I put this country and its people in danger for the sake of a friend, and for that, I'm sorry."

"We'll help you set it right, General. Don't worry," Alphonse reassured him.

"Just stay out of sight, okay?" Edward said. "Since you opened the Portal, they've probably marked you for sacrifice already."

Roy nodded. "I'm sure they're well-aware of who I am and what I've done by now. We need to halt their plans as quickly as possible. Since Scar isn't here to activate his transmutation circle, it's that much more critical that we stop the father from using the country's citizens to make his Philosopher's Stone."

"I still can't believe Scar helped save the country in your timeline," Edward mused. "Anyway, let's get outta here. This place reeks."

"Meet back here in three days. Same time," Roy ordered. "You'll see a big blue box next to the dumpster. Until then, don't let anyone know we're here; got it?"

"Yeah, sure." Edward swung the dumpster open and leaped out. "We'll be here. Come on, Al. Let's go find Winry. I think she went by the Hughes' home."

"Speaking of, I'd like to pay him a visit myself," Roy commented. "I'm pretty sure he's being released from the hospital today."

"Isn't that a little risky?" Riza inquired.

Roy shrugged. "Maybe, but my other self is pretty busy at the moment. It'll just be for a few minutes."

"You just told the Elrics you would stay put and keep away from Hughes. The last thing we need is your recklessness to set us back again."

Roy hated to admit she was right about that, but still, he had risked everything to save this man's life. Maybe he didn't deserve to enjoy the company of his best friend, but he was going to die anyway, so he may as well have a few moments of happiness before getting back to work, right?

While Roy contemplated this, Riza interpreted his expression and let her own soften in response. He was a moron for bringing Hughes back, but he could only punish himself for so long. She knew better than anyone that Roy was a good man, but not a perfect one by any stretch of the imagination. Good men make mistakes, and Roy Mustang is no exception. She had been hard on him, and rightfully so, but she figured it was about time to cut him a break. "I understand," she said, brushing bits of paper off his shirt and flicking them into the dumpster. "Need me to come along?"

Roy shook his head. "Not this time. Get some rest; you haven't had much time for sleep since we met the Doctor at our wedding."

"Fine. Be careful, and don't do anything stupid." She kissed his cheek before quietly making her way back to the TARDIS's current location.

* * *

"What did you learn?" Wrath asked when Pride returned to report.

"Not what I expected," he admitted, "but it was still useful. Mustang knows about me and my capabilities, so he held the conversation where I could not follow. The Elrics are on his side now, though, so I will keep an eye on them."

"We cannot let them meddle too far," Wrath warned him.

"I know," Pride scowled. "They are as important as Mustang in making our father's plan work. Fortunately for us, all five sacrifices are ready when the time is right. No further preparations are needed; we just need to get them here."

Wrath nodded. "That will not be difficult. Father has ways of making them come at the specified time, though I think it may be necessary to put a leash on Mustang and the Elrics before they can interfere with our plans."

"Mustang will be with us soon enough," Pride said, smiling. "It's time to execute the first stage of the plan."

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own the awesomeness that is Fullmetal Alchemist.**

**AN: So, now the Elric brothers are in on it. Also, you'll be seeing exactly why the homunculi have been sitting back this whole time. They've got a plan, and it's coming! Please let me know what you think; your feedback is greatly appreciated!**


	10. Chapter 10: The Hard Way

**Chapter 10: The Hard Way**

**Hello lovely readers! I'm sorry it's taken this long to update. I haven't been terribly inspired lately, but after refreshing with some bits of Brotherhood, I'm excited to bring you the next installment of a story that has been one of my favorites to write thusfar! I hope you all are enjoying it, and thanks for your patience! Feel free to poke me with PMs if the wait gets to be too long. ;) Here's an extra-long chapter to make up for all that time.**

**As always, your favorites/follows/reviews are very much appreciated! They motivate me to keep writing, because as much as I love to tell this story, it's up there for others to enjoy, too, and I'm glad other users like it!**

**Blue Teller: Aww, your review made me so happy! Thanks for all the amazing compliments, and your little summaries made me laugh out loud! :) In response to your question, don't worry, you didn't miss anything; the first stage of the plan hasn't been revealed yet, but it will be in this chapter. There was a casual comment by one of the characters that hinted at it, but if said comment didn't give it away, it means I'm doing my job right. ^_^ Thanks for your thoughts, and I hope you continue to enjoy this story as the plot unfolds!**

**Braxiatel Flux: I remember that! It's one of those things where you kind of want to know but once you know you're like "Oh, snap, so that's how I'm going to die…can I prevent that, or what?" and then you kind of don't want to know anymore and at the same time knowing might actually change your fate and it's all wibbly wobbly. Thanks for reviewing throughout; I appreciate your support!**

**MomoPeachFlower: You're right, I haven't been including the Doctor as much as I should. I'll try to change that in succeeding chapters. Glad you enjoy it nevertheless, though!**

* * *

"So, how 'bout that?" Edward's mind was still reeling after everything General Mustang had told him. The information-seeking-alchemist side of him was internalizing countless theories that branched off from what little he had learned about time travel and the effects of changing the past.

Alphonse recognized the thoughtful, faraway look on his brother's face and instantly grew concerned. "You're not thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?" he asked, preparing to talk sense into him if any reckless ideas emerged.

"Huh?" Edward quickened his pace a little, realizing he had slowed down significantly during his reverie. The Hughes home wasn't much farther. "No, of course not. I just think the whole time travel thing is interesting, that's all."

If a suit of armor could emote, Alphonse would display a look of skepticism. A brief flash of disappointment coursed through him as he was reminded once again that he could not use facial expressions or complex body language to show his feelings. The disappointment was magnified now that he had to continue putting up with this while knowing how to get his body back. Realizing Edward was probably waiting for him to speak his mind since his body language could not so easily do it, Alphonse quickly shoved those thoughts to the back of his mind and shifted his focus to the conversation at hand. "It is, but you know why we can't use it to bring Mom back," he said firmly, "or even just to reverse what happened to us."

"Yeah, I know," Edward said reluctantly. "It'll mess up the natural order of things and blah, blah, blah. Big whup. It's not like I could pull it off anyway, even if I wanted to."

It definitely wasn't a question of whether or not Edward wanted to, Alphonse decided. His nonverbals made his desire to do it pretty clear, which in itself was worrisome. His brother could be very stubborn, hard-headed, and relentless when he got an idea in his head. Heck, that was what landed them in their current situation. If Edward was planning anything stupid, Alphonse would have to be the voice of reason…a role in which he had failed miserably when that crazy human transmutation idea surfaced a few years ago. He would not make that mistake again. "Maybe you should stop thinking about it," he suggested, starting light and hoping that would be the end of it. "The Doctor is the only one who knows how to do it, and remember General Mustang said he's very protective of that knowledge."

"He's probably extra careful now that he screwed up and let Mustang mess with time," Edward mused.

Alphonse made a sound that was as close to a sigh of relief as was physically possible. "Exactly, so we shouldn't even try. We need to help save the country, so let's think about that instead."

Edward stopped in front of the stairs that led up to the Hughes home. "I guess."

Sensing his brother's disappointment, Alphonse put a hand on Edward's shoulder. "It's for the best, you know," he said, figuring his brother would not be satisfied until this conversation was resolved. "We already messed with the natural order once, and look where it got us. We have to take the long way like everybody else, even if it's more painful. Do you really want to risk making things worse?"

"No, you're right. It's stupid to think we could end our suffering that easily." Edward pulled away and kicked at the ground. "It would be arrogant. We were arrogant the first time, and we have to pay the price for that." He sat down on one of the stairs and put his head in his hands. "But that doesn't mean it isn't tempting. I mean…_think_ about it. We could get all those years back…and save our mom…and Winry's parents…hell, we could even stop the Ishvalan War or something. We could save so many people if we travelled back in time!"

"That doesn't justify it, and you know that," Alphonse said firmly. "Using other people's lives as an excuse to alter our fates doesn't change the fact that it's wrong to mess with time. We could cause something worse to happen, or even more people to die."

"Or maybe we wouldn't!" Edward exploded, jumping up from his seat on the stairs. "Did you consider that?"

"There's always a price for something that big!" Alphonse shot back.

"Well I'm sick of it!" Edward balled his hands into fists, trying to control his trembling. "Our lives are a never-ending stink fest of hell, pain, and misery. We're always struggling, Al, but _why_? What did we do to deserve this? I mean yeah, we committed a taboo, but we suffered before that when our dad walked out and our mom died, and now the freak show just keeps on going." His amber eyes were burning with anguish as he continued. "It's like the whole universe is hell-bent on making sure we're not allowed to be happy. Other people are living their happy lives around us while we just _make do_. Maybe I'm sick of making do when there's something I can do to change it."

Alphonse was silent for several moments while Edward fought to control his rage. He hadn't expected his brother to snap like that, but it was understandable given the circumstances. They had both accepted their fate a long time ago and determined to travel the long, difficult road to happiness. Nevertheless, it was understandably aggravating to see an easy answer to all of their problems sitting just beyond their reach. Doing the right thing was almost never easy, but fate managed to make it that much more difficult by dangling an easy-fix solution in front of the brothers' faces. It was cruel, really, because it forced the Elrics to choose the path of pain and suffering despite the soothing remedy that was right in front of them.

All of this ran though Alphonse's mind in a matter of seconds, and judging by the look on his brother's face, Edward was thinking along the same lines. No words had to pass between them; they were both burdened with the painful truth that their only option was to do it the hard way, no matter how tempting the alternative was. The future Mustang and Hawkeye were testaments to that. Because Mustang chose to defy the laws of time rather than accept the loss of his best friend, he had to work tirelessly to save the country all over again, and when all was said and done, he had to die and give up his promising and beautiful future to another version of himself. The Elrics could not afford to risk making that same mistake.

"Come on, brother." Alphonse started up the steps, relieved to see Edward had calmed down. "Winry's waiting for us."

Edward nodded. "Yeah." He flashed his brother a look that said, _Speak of this to no one!_ before falling in step beside him.

* * *

"Looks like I caught you just in time," Roy greeted as his friend strolled out of the hospital. "You look like a new man. How are you holding up?"

Maes grinned. "Good as new! I'll be ready to start work again tomorrow morning, but in the meantime, I can finally go home to my two favorite people in the whole world."

"So I don't qualify?" Roy asked, feigning offense.

Maes gave him a playful shove. "You make top three; how does that sound?"

Roy chuckled. "I'm flattered. Need a lift?"

"Thanks, but I think I'll take the scenic route. Hey, tell you what! You come with me and we'll have a celebratory dinner at my place! You're not doing anything, right?" Before Roy could say anything, he continued cheerily. "No? Good, it's settled. Come on, Roy. You won't believe how big my beautiful Elicia has gotten! And if you thought the spinach quiche at the academy was good, wait till you try Gracia's recipe!"

As much as he wanted to enjoy an evening with his best friend, there really wasn't time for that. "Hughes, really, thanks for the offer, but I really should get going. My work's been piling up since the transfer to Central, and I really—"

"Nonsense! Come on, you've been working yourself ragged since you got here. You deserve a break, and I won't take no for an answer!" Maes crossed his arms and smirked mischievously. "Don't make me drag you, Roy. You know I'll do it."

Roy thought back to the comical way Maes had dragged Sheska and Winry in the past. "You could try," he corrected, "but I'm not what you would call a skinny young woman." Even so, he found himself relenting. It couldn't hurt to drop by for a quick dinner, right? He told Riza he would spend a little time with Hughes, and that's what he was doing. Irresponsible? Maybe. But he was going to die, dammit. Might as well enjoy the little bit of the time he had left.

"I'd rather not see you in a miniskirt," Maes commented. "But I _would_ like to see you at my dinner table. How 'bout it, Roy?"

"All right, all right." Roy raised his hands in a surrender gesture. "I guess I have no choice. You'll probably keep calling me until I drop my work and join you anyway. Might as well skip that step while I still can."

"Now you're catching on." Maes nudged his friend's arm affectionately and continued walking.

They were nearly there, and Maes had not stopped talking since they left. The constant rambling about his wife and daughter were as annoying as ever, and though Roy wore an expression of forced patience—as was expected by his past self—he secretly enjoyed this. He had missed this man desperately, and it was almost surreal to have him by his side again.

"Look at me talking your ear off," Maes said suddenly. "Tell me about the transfer. How are you adjusting to Central? Meet any beautiful women? You really need to find yourself a wife, Colonel." Roy's face flushed a little, but not for the reason Maes suspected. "Wait, you didn't actually find someone, did you? Tell me all about her, Roy, and don't hold back a single detail because you know I'll find out one way or another!"

_I found someone a long time ago,_ Roy thought, _but I destroyed our lives by saving yours. _"Don't be stupid. I don't have time for a woman," he insisted, trying to sound as much like his past self as possible. Colonel Mustang, though a womanizer by nature, always brushed Hughes off when asked about romantic relationships because he always knew, deep down, that the only woman he could ever truly love was held back from him by the military's anti-fraternization laws.

"Sure you don't." Maes slid his glasses down his nose a little in an attempt to emphasize how unconvinced he was, but he only succeeded in putting fingerprints on them. Sighing, he removed the glasses and wiped them with his shirt. "I'm sure there's someone out there for you, Roy. I want you to be happy. Plus, you—"

"—need as many people on my side as possible if I'm going to achieve my goal," Roy finished for him. "I know. I just don't want to bring a woman into my life right now. I might put her in harm's way; I can't guarantee her safety until I've reached the top."

"That's noble of you, but unnecessary," Maes said. "If you keep waiting around, you might miss your chance. You have to work at it, and that takes time. Your soulmate won't just fall out of the sky and—dammit!" he exclaimed, scrambling to grab his glasses as they slipped out of his hand, bounced off the sidewalk, and landed in the street beneath a parked car.

Roy instinctively lunged forward to retrieve the runaway glasses. "I got it," he said, stepping out into the street and getting down onto his hands and knees to fish them out from their hiding place. "You should be more careful with these," he said, picking them up and backing out from under the car. Still on his knees, he turned to face Hughes just in time to see a fist connect with his face. Blood poured from his nose, and some small signal in a distant part of his mind suspected it was probably broken. Because he was momentarily dazed from the unexpected attack, all senses and reactions seemed to slow down significantly, including his battle instincts, and he almost did not register the pair of strong arms shoving him into the trunk of the car and pinning him there. _Fight. Flight. Transmute. Get out of there!_ Roy went on autopilot and instinctively fought to clap his hands together to form the necessary circle for an alchemic transmutation.

"Don't even try to transmute your way out of here." The voice was cold and harsh with a faint trace of satisfaction. It belonged to Hughes, though it sounded more like the Ishvalan War Hughes than the fun-loving, good-humored family man he had since become.

Roy felt his heart sink as the man who appeared to be his best friend tore off his ignition gloves, flipped him over, and tied his hands behind his back while using an elbow to hold the alchemist's head down to stifle any attempt at calling out for help. "What the hell are you doing, Hughes?" he demanded in a muffled voice while struggling uselessly against the attempt to tie him up. This couldn't be Hughes. It wasn't Hughes. There was no way in hell.

Maes smirked a little as he tied Roy's legs together, then used a piece of cloth to make a gag. "I'll get to hear your screams later," he promised, tying it tight, "and I'll enjoy every second of it. Seeing the dumb confusion on your face is enough for now."

His voice changed completely with the last sentence, and even before the words were uttered, Roy was certain of this man's identity. He had been played, and he knew the pain and humiliation he felt now would be nothing compared to the agony that was to come.

* * *

"Can't sleep?"

Riza, who was trying to catch a nap in the TARDIS guest room she and Roy had claimed for themselves, glanced at the doorway to see the Doctor leaning casually against the frame. "Not really," she said. Riza had gotten a bit of sleep, but her troubled thoughts prevented her from the deep sleep she so desperately needed.

"What's on your mind?" he pressed, moving to sit down in one of the chairs on the other side of the room.

"I'm just worried about how the Elrics might be taking this," she admitted. "After what Roy did…"

"Ah, I see." As soon as Riza returned to the TARDIS, she had immediately filled him in on everything that had happened before retiring to this room for some much-needed rest. "You have nothing to worry about. I'm not taking them anywhere, and I'm sure you know why."

Riza nodded seriously. "Yeah. You probably know this by now, but I'm really sorry about what happened." Even though it was all Roy's doing, she felt partially responsible for letting it happen. She knew Roy better than that and should have suspected his plan in time to put a stop to it.

The Doctor waved off her apology. "Everyone makes mistakes, Riza," he assured her. "It's part of what makes you human. Clumsily, imperfectly, and _magnificently_ human." His emphasis on the second-to-last word was accentuated by a broad, toothy grin.

"You seem so fascinated with us," Riza observed. "What the homunculi consider an inferior race of lower beings. There's nothing spectacular about being human."

"Oh, but there is, though," the Doctor said adamantly. "Everything the homunculi hate about humans is what makes them unique and special and absolutely brilliant." The Time Lord's voice grew more animated as he went on. "When you fall down, you don't stay down. You get back up and learn from your mistakes. You're always thinking, always evolving, always coming up with new and creative things, and no matter how bleak things get, you keep fighting for something better. You see crime and devastation and suffering, yet you _still _work tirelessly to counter it. You have strength and courage. You have _hope_. You have love. Each and every life has the capability to change the world in some way or another, and if they tap into that potential, the possibilities are endless."

Riza was amazed by this, and for several moments, she could not find the words to follow up such strong statements. "You sound so certain of us," she managed to say. "I have to admit, I'm envious of your confidence in humans. After all the destruction we caused, I find it hard to see the beauty in human life."

The Doctor thought for a moment. "That's one way to look at it," he acknowledged, "but let me show you a different way. What can you tell me about Roy Mustang?"

Riza was taken aback by the question. "He's a complicated man," she stated, unsure of where this conversation was going.

"How so?" the Doctor pressed.

"He cares," Riza said simply. "He's always looking out for the people he cares about, even if he sometimes goes about it the wrong way. He doesn't give up, and he would never abandon anyone. It's not in his nature."

"Has he ever hurt anyone?"

Riza bit her lip. "Yes. He and I both killed countless people in Ishval." A haunted look crossed her features, as it often did when she thought of Ishval.

"So he's powerful, then."

"Very much so." Riza was beginning to feel uncomfortable. "What does that have to do with anything?"

The Doctor smiled kindly. "The first thing you told me is that he cares. A positive trait. Yet he is a powerful man who has used that power to hurt other people on a massive scale. Does that make him a bad man?"

"No, of course not! Roy is—" Riza trailed off, seeing his point.

Seeing the wheels turn in the markswoman's head, the Doctor continued. "Humans are complicated. The evilest men alive have something good about them, and the kindest souls in the world can and will do terrible things at times. You wonder why I love and admire humans so much? Because humans are complicated, and the nature of humanity is absolutely fantastic. Everyone has their reasons for what they do, and even if those reasons don't make sense, the intentions can still be good. Was it wrong for Roy to manipulate us and change time? Yes. But he did it to save the life of a friend. You can hardly call him a bad person for that. The same goes for the rest of humanity. Your choices have consequences, yet you still learn from them and continue to grow as a race."

"Even so, I'm sorry we got you involved in this," Riza said, bringing the discussion back to the original point. "We took advantage of your kindness and hospitality, and now you're stuck helping us clean up our mess."

"His mess," the Doctor corrected. "None of this was your doing."

"Maybe not, but I still feel responsible."

"You shouldn't." Hoping to alter her perspective once more, the Doctor asked, "Why are you so concerned with helping Roy fix this mistake?"

Riza shrugged. "I care about him; he may be an idiot for starting all of this, but it would be cruel of me to make him do this alone. Besides, these people shouldn't have to suffer for this."

"Good!" The Doctor clapped his hands together. "Now you see it my way. No more apologies; I'm here because I want to be. I'm helping the pair of you for the same reason you are helping Mustang. The only direction we can move now is forward, which I'm sure you know I'm very _very_ good at." He stood up, crossed the room, and knelt beside her bed. "Now then, the only way we're going to get anything done is if you get some sleep."

"Sure," she said, though she secretly knew she would not be falling asleep anytime soon. "Can you wake me when Roy gets back?"

"No. You need to sleep. You can see him after you've rested." Before she could protest, the Doctor placed a finger on her forehead and smiled satisfactorily as the exhausted soldier slumped into a state of deep unconsciousness. "I like doing that," he said, chuckling softly. "Sweet dreams." He quietly left the room and cracked the door before making his way back to the main control room.

Roy was not back yet, which was mildly concerning. Didn't Riza say the flame alchemist was just going for a brief visit with Hughes? The Doctor sighed, wondering what sort of trouble he might have gotten himself into this time. The man was clever, yet infinitely foolish and reckless, and the Doctor feared the latter two traits may have gotten the better of the young general. Roy seemed so quick to put the weight of the world on his shoulders, yet despite all his strength and intelligence, the alchemist's capabilities were limited by his inexperience. Roy was adept, sure, but he was also young and far too sure of himself. Riza should not have let him wander off on his own.

"I should find him," the Doctor decided. "We can't afford to waste time." He'd left most of the mission to Roy and Riza up until now and offered his help as needed, but maybe it was time to take a more active role. He hated the idea of meddling, particularly when his actions held the potential for dire consequences, but standing by and doing nothing was not the answer. Just as Riza felt responsible for Roy's actions, the Doctor felt responsible for taking the couple into the TARDIS in the first place. Like it or not, this was his mess as well.

* * *

"Well-played, Envy."

The homunculus turned to see Solf J. Kimblee step out of the backseat of the car where he had been lying in wait all day. "Took long enough," Envy scowled. "If I had to spend one more day with that obnoxious little brat…"

"I'm sure it was worth it," Kimblee said confidently, joining the Maes Hughes lookalike at the rear of the car. "It will be, anyway." He regarded his former comrade-in-arms with a twisted smirk. He had to admit it was hysterical to see this well-respected alchemist reduced to a bound and bloody mess in the trunk of a car. His nose was definitely in bad shape. "So, the great hero of Amestris. I have to say, I'm almost disappointed at how easily you took the bait." Though the defeated flame alchemist could say nothing, his fiery glare spoke volumes. Kimblee laughed loudly and leaned in so his face was mere inches from Mustang's. "If looks could kill," he sneered. "Too bad you can't perform flame alchemy with your eyes. If that was the case, I'd be a pile of ash right now. I'm sure you'd _love_ that."

"All right, that's enough," Envy said impatiently, though a large part of him enjoyed this moment as much as the crimson alchemist did. "You'll have plenty of time to play with our captive, but for now you need to get him to Father."

Kimblee nodded. "Fine, fine. So why do you need me to do the chauffeuring, anyway? Aren't you coming along?"

Envy shook his head. "I have other places to be," he said. "The plan is not complete until we eliminate all the variables and tie up loose ends. Mustang's dog will obviously go looking for him, so we'll give her a little bone to chew on until it's too late for her to do anything to interfere with the plans." The look of fury and hatred was apparent in the captive's eyes at the mention of his subordinate. "What, does that worry you? Relax, I'll take good care of her," Envy assured him as he smoothly shifted into Mustang's form. "How do I look?"

"I have the sudden urge to punch you in the face, so yep, pretty spot-on," Kimblee said.

"You can punch him instead," Envy said in a perfect imitation of Mustang's voice. He gestured flippantly to the captured alchemist, who was going completely ballistic. "Do what you want; just don't kill him. Father needs him alive."

"With pleasure." In once swift motion, Kimblee cracked Mustang in the jaw, then brought an elbow down into his side, satisfied with the _whooshing_ sound that ensued as the breath was knocked out of him. "What's wrong? Does it bother you that Envy is going to shake things up and use your image to do it? Too bad. No one will miss you," he jeered. "No one will come for you. She won't even know you're in trouble. You can forget about whatever it was that brought you here from the future, because you failed."

"Lucky for us!" Envy exclaimed, slamming the trunk shut for dramatic effect. The first stage of the plan was complete; it would be smooth sailing from there.

* * *

**Disclaimer: I still don't own anything related to Doctor Who or Fullmetal Alchemist. I'll get back to you on that.**

**AN: So there you have it, folks. Envy is a sneaky bastard, but of course we all knew that already. I hope this extra-long chapter was enough to make up for taking so long to update! I'll try to crank out another good chapter soon, but in the meantime, let me know what you think! Reviews are always welcome!**


	11. Chapter 11: Deception

**Chapter 11: Deception**

**Hi everyone! I apologize once again for the late update; life gets busy, inspirational moments come and go, and here we stand. Don't give up on me yet, though! I have a lot of great plans for this story, so just hang in there and bear with me; you'll see them soon enough, I promise. :)**

**greatlittleking: I'm using the Tenth Doctor because he always has and always will be my Doctor. :)**

**Braxiatel Flux: I agree; the Doctor and Roy Mustang certainly have their similarities. Maybe that's why I love both characters so much! :D**

* * *

The Doctor walked the streets of Central City, hands in pockets as he skimmed the quiet roads, alleyways, and sidewalks. It was getting late, so a lot of the city's inhabitants were probably having dinner with their families or working late. Aside from a handful of pedestrians and a car or two, there wasn't much activity anywhere outside.

As he altered his course to head for the hospital, the Doctor saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Another pedestrian? No, just a piece of paper blowing in the wind. These humans had more in common with those of Earth than they realized, the Doctor noted with a slight shake of the head.

He turned away to continue his walk, whistling an old song he'd heard in passing on a radio once, and almost collided with the very man he had been searching for. "Roy?" His voice was laced with unmasked surprise. "Where were you? You should have been back at the TARDIS by now."

The young general appeared momentarily confused, but his look of befuddlement was quickly replaced with a sense of casual recognition. "I was out," he replied. "Obviously."

Although the Doctor was put off by the alchemist's behavior, he decided it wasn't worth an argument. The change in demeanor certainly wasn't lost on him, however, and he made a mental note to keep a close eye on the young man. "I can see that," he said in a tone that matched Roy's. "Whatever you were doing must have been important, but you're needed back at the TARDIS. Waltzing around like this isn't safe; we have work to do, and you don't want to risk getting caught."

Roy shoved his hands in his pockets, arrogance coming off his aura in waves. "Right. Of course we wouldn't want that. Lead on, then."

Sighing, the Doctor did just that. Knowing how well-connected Riza was with this man, he would leave the deciphering to her. As clever as the Doctor was, Riza would be far more adept at sensing what was off about Roy's behavior…and possibly figuring out the cause.

* * *

Riza paced around the console room of the TARDIS, wondering what the hell was taking Roy so long at the hospital. He _knew_ how risky it was to visit Hughes in the first place let alone spend any length of time with him. As much as she wanted him to catch a break from everything that had been happening, the mission was more important. Maybe this was unfair to think, but she felt no right to take any leisure time for herself given the gravity of what had happened, and a part of her wanted Roy to feel the same way. He probably did to some degree, which begged another question: had Roy gone to meet Hughes outside the hospital like he said he would, or had he gone charging off to do something reckless for the sake of the mission? Was he safe?

As much as Riza wanted to run off and find him to ensure his safety, she felt a greater need to hold the fort while the Doctor was away. She was still a little annoyed at the dismissive way the Time Lord had put her to sleep, but the break was necessary, and she understood that. She had not expected to wake up to an empty TARDIS, however. Sure, he might be in some other room doing who knows what—it _was_ an endless vessel, after all—but her instincts assumed he was off searching for Roy.

Her suspicions were confirmed when the Doctor entered the TARDIS with Roy on his heels. She took a step forward to greet them, but was taken aback by the look of momentary shock on the general's face when he stepped inside. The shift in facial expression was so brief and subtle that a casual observer would have completely missed it, but Riza was never a casual observer where Roy Mustang was concerned. What had surprised him? Surely it wasn't the TARDIS; he was used to it by now, wasn't he? They didn't have the luxury of marveling in the wonders of time travel technology; not anymore, anyway. Not after what they had done.

"Hey," he greeted her, smiling warmly and taking a step in her direction.

The face was certainly Roy's, but something was different about his smile. This wasn't the way Roy normally smiled; she'd seen his face often enough to know every expressional quirk he had. _Don't be ridiculous,_ Riza scolded herself. _You're reading too much into this._ "Don't you 'hey' me," she responded sharply. "Where were you?"

Roy's expression clouded in confusion. "The hospital?"

"You were gone a long time," she said, letting out an exasperated sigh. "I was starting to get worried."

"Worried? You? Come on." Roy's smile widened as he put his hands on her waist and pulled her into him. "No reason to be. I'm here, aren't I?"

The more he spoke, the more certain Rize was that something was wrong with Roy. His face, his gestures, the way he carried himself…it was all wrong. The best way to get to the bottom of this, she determined, was to play along as if she didn't suspect a thing. Riza smiled ever so slightly and smacked his chest. "Yes, you are. So…how was it?" she asked casually.

"It was all right. Hughes was…Hughes. Talked my ear off with wife and daughter stories. I thought I'd never get away." He chuckled a little and took a step back, his expression turning a little more serious. "I think I might have a lead on the homunculi."

"Oh?" Riza cocked an eyebrow, wondering where this new development could possibly have come from. "I thought you were just visiting with Hughes."

"Yeah, I was." There was a note of discomfort in his voice, as though the news he brought was troubling him greatly. "There was something…off about Hughes. He was talking to the Fuhrer right before I met up with him outside the hospital. He had a weird…almost twisted…look on his face."

Riza kept a neutral expression. "You think Hughes is up to something?"

"No. I think that wasn't Hughes at all," he said. His voice was firm, though Riza could detect a faint trace of finality in his tone, like a well-concealed effort to drive the point home a little too fervently.

"So you think…" Riza narrowed her eyes. "That's a rather dramatic assumption to make, Roy. You think Hughes might be Envy in disguise?"

Roy shrugged. "Maybe. There was definitely something fishy going on with his behavior."

_No, there's something fishy going on with _your_ behavior_, Riza thought, hoping beyond hope she was wrong and this was indeed the man she loved standing in front of her. If this was Envy—and she was fairly certain it was—then she would be powerless against him in a fight. She had to keep letting him believe she was buying into his every word. "What do you think we should do about it?" she challenged him. "If you're right and Hughes really is Envy in disguise, then where is the real Hughes? Taking him down would be great for our mission, but if you're wrong and we confront him…"

"I know, we'll have a lot of explaining to do," Roy admitted. "I still think we should try."

"That's a bold move. Are you sure you want to risk it?"

Roy nodded. "Envy won't be an easy one. We might need to bring the Elrics into it."

Alarms flashed through Riza's mind at those words. Why in the world would Roy Mustang—the man who had once defeated Envy with nothing but a pair of ignition gloves at his disposal—suggest dragging the Elrics into assisting Envy's defeat? "That's all well and good," she said, "but should we really risk exposing the Elrics' involvement in this? The homunculi will target the brothers as soon as they find out they're assisting our mission. Best case scenario, you're wrong about Hughes and he finds out about our mission and the Elrics' involvement in it. If the military catches onto any of our suspicious activity, you'd better believe the Fuhrer will hear about it and take it straight to the source."

"Do you want to catch Envy or not?" Roy was starting to get irritated. "We'll never get anywhere if we don't start taking risks. We have a long way to go before this country is safe, so we might as well get a move on and knock out some of their stronger players."

Riza gazed at him, pretending to reflect on his words, but instead making a quick mental assessment of the situation. If this was Envy posing as General Mustang, it was safe to assume he had done something to get the real one out of the way. She hated to imagine it, but for the sake of the situation, she had to accept her fiancé was either captured or dead. Furthermore, Envy seemed rather set on attempting to sway her into suspecting Hughes, which made it was entirely possible that he had been previously hiding behind the face of Hughes and biding his time until his target—the Roy Mustang from the future—gave him an opportunity to strike. It was certainly a clever trap that she would not put past the shape-shifting homunculus.

Her first instinct was to do whatever she could to rescue him, but such an act was irrational and, assuming he was still alive, could potentially get both of them killed. She mentally cringed as a previous conversation with Roy came back to her:

_"__I'm a candidate for sacrifice—more so since I've already opened the Portal. If anything, they'll try to capture me. If they _do_ kill me, though, it falls on you to get the mission done."_

_"__Don't talk like that! I won't let you die."_

_"__If I do, though, you need to stay focused. If they kill me, you need to find my past self immediately. It's a long shot, but since I'm from the future, he would probably still be alive. You need to tell him everything and get his help to end the homunculi. The other alchemists can help as well, but flame alchemy is necessary to beat the enemy. Understood?"_

She had to follow through on her promise, no matter how badly she wanted to run from the room and find where those bastards were holding the man she loved. There was no room for attachment now; the country depended on her to do what was necessary. Right now, it was necessary to get away from Envy, and the only way to do that would be to comply for the time being. He wanted her to get the Elrics? Fine. She would do that. She would also get Colonel Mustang and Major Armstrong. She would get whoever she could, and they would end this before it was too late.

"I see your point," she said at last. "Very well, I will share your suspicions with the Elrics."

Roy nodded. "Good. I'll leave you in charge of taking Envy down; gather the Elrics and corner him in the Hughes home at dawn."

"Aren't you coming with us?" Riza asked. "You know the Elrics will refuse to kill him."

"Don't worry, I'll meet you there," he assured her. "Go talk to the Elric brothers and have them rendezvous with us outside the Hughes home at dawn. While you do that, I'm going to do some recon on where they might be holding the real Maes Hughes."

"That's a bit risky, sir. Please be careful."

Roy grinned. "You know I will. Now go."

The Doctor, who had been quietly observing from the console, stepped forward. "I'll go with you," he told Riza. "I'd like to meet the Elrics and assist with your plan."

Riza nodded. "We'd better get moving. Happy hunting, General."

* * *

"So you are the man from the future who was trying to interfere with my plans."

Roy recognized that voice, and the memories associated with it sent a chill down his spine. It did not help that the bag over his head impaired his vision just as the Portal-induced blindness had the last time he was here.

"The father is speaking to you," Kimblee sneered. "It would be rude to ignore him." Roy felt a sharp jab in his stomach as the crimson alchemist's elbow connected with his gut.

"Enough of this." The father sounded bored rather than angry. "Allow him to speak."

Kimblee shrugged and yanked the bag off Roy's head, pushed him down onto his knees, and pulled the cloth gag out of his mouth.

"Are you or are you not the flame alchemist from the future?" the father asked.

"The future? Sounds like crazy talk to me," Roy managed to say. The arrogant confidence in his voice surprised him. "Look, whoever you are, when the military finds out you kidnapped one of their top state alchemists, you'll pay dearly for it. Might even cost you your life. I'd tread carefully if I were you."

"Do not try to fool me, Mustang," the father said. It was uncanny how consistently flat and unfeeling his voice remained regardless of the subject matter. "I know you opened the Portal, and I know you have come from the future."

Roy sighed. "Portals too, huh? I hate to be rude, sir, but I'm fairly certain you're mistaken. I came here from the Eastern Command Center, not the future. Honestly, whoever provides your intel should be fired on the spot."

"He lies," a small voice whimpered. "He killed Lust. He's a liar. Let me eat him."

"You will not eat him, Gluttony," the father said firmly. "He will be one of my sacrifices. Now then, stop playing foolish games. You cannot hide your identity from me, and attempting to stall me is futile."

Roy shrugged. "It was worth a try, I suppose. I'd say it's nice to see you, but then I'd be lying. Still, it's interesting to actually _see_ you this time."

Pride, who was standing beside his father, seemed puzzled by this. "Explain."

"I don't take orders from you," Roy scowled, surprising himself once again with the steadiness of his voice. "Torturing me won't make a difference. You need me alive, anyway."

"Who said anything about torturing _you_?" Pride asked. "Your woman is at our disposal. We can kill her at any time."

Roy didn't miss a beat. "She's aware of the risks. Both of us went into this knowing we might not come out alive."

"And why did you come into this?" the father prompted. "You are here to meddle with my plans, correct? I can only assume my plot was successful and you travelled through time to stop me."

Roy shrugged, relenting. "You're smart, I'll give you that. Arrogant, but smart…and also correct. I was one of your sacrifices; you had to force me through the Portal of Truth, and I came out a blind man. By the time Marcoh managed to heal me with a Philosopher's Stone, it was too late; your plan was already in motion." He allowed a look of disgust to cross his features as he recollected fake memories. "Everyone was dying around me."

"So you travelled in time to counter it?" the father asked, intrigued. "Please explain."

"I had to do something. Anything. All I could think to do was go through the Portal again and find a way to change it. As I was deconstructing, Hawkeye grabbed onto me, and we were flung into the past."

"And would you be able to duplicate this act?" the father pressed.

Roy shook his head. "I was not in control of my actions in the Portal. I'm not even sure how I managed to get here."

"A convincing story," a new voice said, "but almost entirely false nevertheless. You are a talented liar, Mustang, but even you cannot manipulate my ultimate eye."

"Somehow, you always manage to pop up at the worst possible times," Roy scoffed, glaring daggers at the man he had once followed with blind loyalty.

The father regarded the newcomer with the same apathetic expression he always wore. "Was there any truth to his account, Wrath?" he inquired.

"His statements about becoming your sacrifice were true," Bradley began. "Evidently he was a sacrifice but, as he said, it happened by force and cost him his eyesight. I cannot say for sure whether your plan was successful or not. He was telling the truth when he said your plan was in motion and people were dying, yet he was lying about re-entering the Portal to travel through time. His wording was such that I could not decipher the outcome of your plan as a whole."

"It does not matter in the end," the father said. "I have one of my sacrifices with me now, and he has saved me the trouble of forcing him through the Portal. I must say this is an advantage for us. When Envy's plan unfolds at dawn, we will have the Elric brothers in our possession as well, and Mustang's partner will be taken out of the equation."

For the first time since his arrival underground, a look of genuine fear crossed Roy's features. "Bastard," he mumbled, "don't you dare touch her. She's not a threat to you, dammit; I'm the only one with the power to stop you, and you've got me. Leave her out of this."

"She will be an extra measure to ensure your cooperation," Bradley told him. "Your cards are on the table, Mustang; we know exactly how to keep you under control."

Roy tightened his jaw. "Is that so? Try too hard to control a flame, and you might get burned," he warned.

"Not if you have the right tools." Bradley nodded to Gluttony, who stepped out of the room and returned moments later with another prisoner in tow. The Fuhrer grabbed the prisoner's arm and threw him face-down in front of the kneeling flame alchemist.

The man did not make a sound at first; Roy suspected he was probably near death. He was clothed in a tattered blue military uniform that was barely recognizable beneath the layers of dirt and grime. His black hair was unkempt and caked with dirt, and when he raised his head, he revealed eyes dulled by defeat, cracked glasses, and an unshaven face. "Roy," he whispered. "They got you, too."

* * *

**Disclaimer: I claim no ownership of the characters or ideas represented in this story.**

**AN: Plans continue to unfold on both sides as everyone scrambles to one-up each other. I hope you're having as much fun reading this as I am writing this, and I thank you for your patience with my slow updates! Life tends to get in the way sometimes, but I will never stop loving to write. Until next time, my great readers! If you would kindly drop a little note in that lovely Review Box below, it would make my day! :)**


	12. Chapter 12: Pawn Recruitment

**Chapter 12: Pawn Recruitment**

**Sorry for the late update, everyone! I was a little busy getting schooled to death, working two jobs, and getting engaged. ;) I appreciate your continued patience, favorites, and follows! If I go this long without an update again, feel free to poke me over PM and I'll try to come around. :) Here's a nice long chapter to make up for the 6 months I abandoned you wonderful people. As a side note to 413nepetaleijon...see, I do keep my promises! I hope this long-awaited update does not disappoint! :)**

* * *

Colonel Mustang strolled into his apartment, moving about in blissful ignorance of what the military has been up to. His work in Central had piled up so much that he never had to time to think about anything other than his endless tasks; the investigation into what had attacked Hughes was put on hold until the mountain of paperwork was completed. A small part of him wondered if someone was trying to distract him, but he quickly dismissed such doubts. The military had its reasons for operating the way it did; while he did not always agree with the standard procedures, a man of his rank has no choice but to do as he is told; it was not his place to question things.

The apartment was pitch black when he unlocked the door and stepped in. Before he had the chance to wonder why his windows were blotted out, he felt a brute force push him against the wall. He couldn't see a thing in the total darkness, but he was able to deduce two figures—a man and a woman—were combining their strength to restrain him.

"Show yourselves, you cowards!" he shouted, poising to activate flame alchemy to get his attackers off of him.

A gloved hand clamped over his mouth—the woman's, it seemed—and Roy winced as a heavy boot stomped on his foot. "Stop struggling!" she hissed. "You need to hear us out."

Roy jumped in surprise at the distinctly-recognizable voice. "Lieutenant?" His speech was muffled through her hand, but the shock was apparent nevertheless.

"Don't scream," Riza instructed in a commanding voice. "We're going to let you go now."

Roy sighed in relief as the pressure holding him to the wall was released. He stepped forward, having some difficulty moving about in the unbroken darkness. "I don't scream," he protested, trying to hide the embarrassment in his voice. They should not have been able to render him helpless so easily. His first instinct was to lecture her for attacking him in his home and barking orders, but Riza Hawkeye would never do such a thing without a very good reason. "What the hell were you thinking?" he demanded, keeping his voice low. He stumbled toward a light switch, but a hand caught his wrist before he could turn it on.

"I can't let you do that," said Riza. "It's not safe."

"Not safe?" Roy let his arm drop. Something was clearly scaring her; what could possibly be awful enough to upset his fearless subordinate this much? "Lieutenant, please explain."

"I'm not your lieutenant," she said, surprising him. "I know this will sound ridiculous; if someone told me what I'm about to tell you, I wouldn't have believed them. I need you to trust me, though. You owe me that much."

Roy nodded, though she probably couldn't see it. "Okay," he said levelly. "Tell me."

Riza took a deep breath. "My name," she began, "is Lieutenant General Riza Hawkeye, and this is the Doctor. We are from the future."

"_Well_," the Doctor cut in, "she is."

"Excuse me?" Roy was baffled. "You really expect me to believe this?"

"We don't have time to convince you," the Doctor said apologetically. "I know you must have a million questions. They always do. Same ones, too. I've heard them all, but how about I save us some time?" Without warning, he smashed his forehead into the flame colonel's.

Roy stumbled backward into the wall, stunned by the wealth of information pouring into his mind. _Homunculi? Homunculi are _real_? How is that even possible? _Roy thought. The full nature of both timelines seared itself into his memory like hot, molten iron and, for several moments, he could hardly breathe. Fortunately, the Doctor had refined his communicative skill well enough to filter a lot of the greater details out, but Roy was still hit with more information than was situationally necessary.

"Need a moment to recover?" the Doctor asked, rubbing his own head.

"N-no," Roy said shakily, gritting his teeth. "I'm…good. And you're nuts. But I believe you."

Riza let out a breath of relief. "Good. You know what you need to do, then."

Roy nodded. "Yep. I'll be where I need to be to spring the trap." Although he still had a library's worth of matters he wanted to discuss with these two, the mission at hand was more important. "You'd better go find the Elric brothers and Major Armstrong before you run out of time. Dawn isn't that far off, and you have a lot of explaining to do."

"That we do," the Doctor agreed, heading toward the door. "Take care."

"Of course." He had to move with the utmost caution to prevent Pride from figuring out how much he knew about their plans. "Lieutenant…wait." Roy caught her arm as she moved to open the door. "Is it true…that we were going to get married?"

A look of deep sadness and regret crossed the young sniper's features, though she figured the colonel would not be able to see it in the dark. "Yes," she replied. "Good night, sir."

* * *

"Hughes…how long?" Although it should have been obvious that Envy's trick outside the hospital would have meant the homunculi probably got the real Maes Hughes out of the way, Roy was still shocked to see his friend as the Father's prisoner. He had been so consumed with thoughts about the effects of his capture on Riza that he hadn't even considered the fate of his best friend. For some reason, he had assumed the real Maes Hughes was safe somewhere.

Maes stared blankly at his friend through dull, lifeless brown eyes. "Lost track," he mumbled. Speaking seemed to take a toll on him; when was the last time this man had eaten or slept?

"What did you do?" Roy shouted at the homunculi, a new wave of fury reinforcing the fight response coursing through his veins. "Why the hell was this necessary?"

Pride grinned, clearly enjoying this. "You should have followed through with that ambulance, General Mustang," he sneered, clearly itching to be the one to disclose the full extent of what the homunculi had done over the past weeks. "Envy was in the hospital the whole time. You should have seen his face when we told him you didn't recognize the man in the hospital was a decoy," he added, gesturing to Hughes. "You really let him down. Some friend you are."

"You bastards," Roy growled.

"I would be careful how you speak to us if I were you," Pride said cheekily. "You have no power here or anywhere else."

_Don't be so sure,_ Roy thought. If Riza was still alive, there was no way she would fall for anything Envy had to say. Okay, maybe he had fallen for Envy's impersonation of Maes Hughes, but Riza knew her fiancé far too well to make the same mistake. If she kept her promise, she would go straight to Roy's past self for help. He would never let her live it down if she did something reckless like stage a rescue, so he had to have faith in her and assume she would stick to the plan. "You know what your problem is, Pride? Your pride."

Pride wrinkled his nose. "Excuse me?"

"You have so much pride in yourself and what you're doing that you fail to consider every angle of your plan. There could be a glaring flaw in it that you're too arrogant to see."

The shadowy homunculus narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Speak for yourself," he hissed. "You say there is a flaw? Then tell us."

"Nope." If Roy's arms were free, he would have crossed them defiantly over his chest. He settled for an insolent smirk instead. "I didn't say there _were_ any flaws. Just that you would miss them if they were right under your nose."

"You hinted it."

"Doesn't mean there is one."

"Enough of this," the Father interrupted. "This petty arguing displeases me. Please remove the prisoners from my presence."

This time, it was Bradley who stepped forward to carry out the order while Pride sat mutinously on the sidelines and Gluttony licked his chops, wanting nothing more than to devour the sassy meanie-head who had the audacity to murder Lust.

Kimblee pulled Roy to his feet and shoved him toward the exit while Bradley unceremoniously dragged a limp Hughes by the wrist. The Lieutenant Colonel, who was too weak to walk on his own, allowed the Fuhrer to pull him along without protest.

In order to prevent any escape attempt aided by alchemy, Kimblee slammed Roy against the wall, positioned his arms above his head, and enlisted Bradley's help to prop the young alchemist several feet off the ground and fasten him to the wall by his wrists so he was dangling, back against the wall, safely out of reach. Maes, who was sitting against the adjacent wall with his arms shackled over his head, was far easier to restrain.

Despite the extreme discomfort of his current position, Roy managed to maintain a cocky grin. "I'm flattered you have to go through such extremes to hold me. What, are you afraid or something?"

Kimblee rolled his eyes. "Don't flatter yourself. The homunculi aren't stupid enough to let you slip through their fingers. You won't be so smug after hanging like that for a few days. No worries, though; I'll be the first to pay you a visit and mock your pain. I might even bring my dinner with me. Play your cards right, and maybe I'll save a crumb for you."

"You're a saint. I know one thing for sure; no matter how much pain you put me through, nothing will hurt more than seeing your stupid face every day."

"You're not a sight for sore eyes yourself, Mustang," Kimblee jeered. "I must say, it's refreshing to see the great hero of Ishval so broken and humiliated."

"Don't make me come down there and kick your ass," Roy sneered, hating the nickname.

Kimblee spread his arms wide open, palms up. "Go right ahead! Hit me with your best shot!"

"That's enough, Kimblee. We have work to do," said Bradley. "Sweet dreams, gentlemen."

Once the two men were gone, Roy turned his head to look at the dejected form of his best friend slumped on the floor. "Hughes…hey, Hughes, stay with me, okay? You've got to stay alive. Your wife and daughter are counting on it."

Maes half-heartedly lifted his chin to look at Roy through the messy locks of unkempt black hair covering the upper half of his face. "What do you think kept me alive this long?" His voice sounded as though he had been forced to gargle glass shards which, come to think of it, was probably not far off from the truth. Despite the utter defeat in his lifeless body, however, there was a note of stubborn determination in his tone. "They dragged me through hell and back, Roy. I should be dead."

"But you're not. That has to count for something," Roy pointed out, grimacing at the pain building up in his arms, chest, and back. Breathing was not getting any easier as seconds turned into minutes.

"Maybe, but I think they have a reason for keeping me alive aside from sadistic cruelty," Maes figured, sounding almost too tired to care. "I'm useful to them in some way. I think I might be a part of his plan."

Roy thought about this. "Perhaps, though I was under the impression you were here to keep me in line."

Maes shrugged, then hissed through his teeth when the simple motion hurt him. "That's what I thought, but I think there's more to it than that."

"Well, I think we can survive this. The game isn't over yet; they have no idea who my pawns are or what they're up to." He couldn't reveal any more than that lest the homunculi would catch wind of it. He had already suspected the act of placing both prisoners in the same cell was not a coincidence; the homunculi probably hoped to get the men talking about their next move. Roy would have none of it. "We have to hang in there."

The lieutenant colonel smiled despite himself. "That was a terrible pun, Roy."

Roy glanced up at his wrists, then chuckled softly. "Yeah, maybe it was. We're both pretty resilient, though. Just look at everything we've been through."

"You more than me," Maes pointed out. "If you're really from the future, that is."

Roy smiled apologetically. "I'm afraid I can't tell you about that. If we get through this, though, I'll fill you in on everything. There's so much I've been wanting to tell you."

Maes hesitated. "About that…I do have one question. Did I die?"

Roy's expression darkened. "Why would you ask me that?"

"I have my reasons for speculating it, but I wanted to hear the truth directly from you," Maes said simply.

After a long pause to weigh the likelihood of the homunculi benefiting from such information, Roy decided Maes had a right to know at this point. "Yes," he responded at last, "you did."

* * *

"How dreadful. To think the very military to which we pledged our service has been secretly plotting against the people we swore to protect!"

In order to spare the Doctor another headache, he and Riza opted to verbal explanations for the next go-round. Suffice it to say Major Alex Armstrong did not take the news very well.

"You must keep your voice down, Major," Riza pled. "Surveillance is everywhere. The only truly safe place to speak freely is the TARDIS."

Alex paused a moment, then suggested, "Why don't we mobilize there, then?"

"Too suspicious," Riza replied. "If yourself, the Elrics, and the colonel were all to rendezvous with us in the TARDIS, the homunculi would immediately know something was up. You have to assume business as usual until we need you."

"Who can we trust?" Alex asked. "Is there no one I can share this information with?"

"I would hold back from telling anyone for now," the Doctor warned. "Leave that to us. We have only told the Elric brothers and Colonel Mustang so far."

"You think that will be enough to stop this threat?" Alex pressed. "We need more manpower."

Riza shook her head. "We don't have that luxury, Major. The only other options are Dr. Marcoh and Izumi Curtis, though I personally think the latter should leave the country immediately. She needs to get outside of the Amestrian transmutation circle before the Promised Day."

"We have a theory that getting Curtis and the Elrics outside of the circle may be the best way to halt the Father's plans," the Doctor explained. "It would minimize the carnage."

"Where do I come in?" Alex asked.

"You play a vital role on two different fronts. Prepare for some leave time, Major," Riza instructed, pressing an envelope into his hand, "and dress warmly."

* * *

**Disclaimer: In the 6 months I was absent, I'm afraid I haven't acquired the rights to Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood or Doctor Who. Waste of time, I know, but I did get engaged in that time, so it wasn't a total loss. ;)**

**AN: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! A lot of great things are setting themselves in motion. I'll try to update again soon, but in the meantime, I do solemnly swear that A.) I will never abandon this story until it is complete, and B.) I am up to no good. That is all.**


	13. Chapter 13: Mobilizing On Both Fronts

**Chapter 13: Mobilizing On Both Fronts**

**Oh, look, free time! I haven't enjoyed any of that in a while, so here, have a chapter! Thanks for the review, 413nepetaleijon! I pride myself in one-liners (see what I did there?), and I'm glad you got the Harry Potter reference! I was a Hufflepuff student for Halloween last year. #PuffPride for the win! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

Dawn was almost here, and Riza wasn't sure she was ready. She had run the plan over and over in her mind, but she found it increasingly difficult to prioritize the mission over finding her missing fiancé. The man she loved was still alive; she could practically _feel_ it. It would be a waste for the homunculi to kill him, so wherever he was, he was probably in a lot of pain.

"He'll be fine," said the Doctor, jolting Riza out of her thoughts. "I know you're thinking of him, but you shouldn't."

Riza, who was perching on top of the TARDIS, completely deadpanned and turned a gaze devoid of emotion on the man standing below. "I wasn't thinking about him," she lied. "I was just clearing my mind before the rendezvous."

The Doctor clucked disapprovingly. "You're one of the more talented liars I've had the pleasure to meet, Riza, and you can fool a lot of people," he told her, "but you know as well as I do that I'm not most people."

Riza sighed, loosened her grip on the TARDIS, and slid down to join him. She landed with the delicate poise of an experienced markswoman. "When this is over, we need to find him," she said decisively.

"You know why we can't do that," he said gently.

A look of defiance flashed across the young soldier's face. "We can, though. We _have_ to. He's one of their sacrifices; if for no other reason, we need to get him back for the sake of the mission."

"You're not thinking clearly. You of all people should know that thinking with your emotions can lead to reckless decisions," the Doctor chided her.

Riza took a step forward, grabbed the front of the Doctor's jacket, and pulled him down so they were at eye level. "I am completely rational," she said, though the way she forced each word out said otherwise. "You have a TARDIS. We're going to use it to rescue him." Realizing how ridiculously she was behaving, Riza let go of the Doctor and took a step back, her face contorting with the fear and grief she had been so desperately trying to hide. "We have to save him, Doctor. Please. He's in pain."

The Doctor put a hand on her arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. This woman was giving everything she had to fix the timeline her fiancé had broken, and she did it all with the knowledge that both she and the man she loved would lose their lives for it. It was only natural that she would want every opportunity to spend her last days with Roy by her side. "All right," he said at last. "I'll do what I can."

Riza's lip quivered as she swallowed the tears that threatened to spill. She refused to cry over this or anything else. She rarely cried as it was, so she had to find the strength within her to push forward. "Thank you," she said softly. There was no point in even trying to hide her feelings from the ancient Time Lord. He could see right through her, anyway. Steeling herself for the meeting with the Elrics, Riza pushed all thoughts of Roy to the back of her mind, pulled her gun from its holster, and checked the level of ammunition. "This shouldn't take long," she told him. Knowing Pride might be watching, she added, "We'll have the Hughes situation taken care of in no time."

"Lead the way, Lieutenant General."

Both Riza and the Doctor remained silent as they walked the darkened streets of Central City. The streetlamps provided little in the way of light, but they were enough for Riza's skillfully-trained eyes to pick up the two familiar figures of the Elric brothers waiting outside the steps to the Hughes' apartment.

"So these are the Elric brothers. Pleasure to meet you," the Doctor greeted them.

Edward looked the Time Lord up and down skeptically. "And you're the time-travel guy. You look awfully human to me."

"And you look like a dwarfish Time Lord," the Doctor remarked without missing a beat.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT HE CAN'T EVEN BE SEEN WITH A MICROSCOPE?!" Edward shouted.

"Brother, calm down!" Alphonse pled.

"HE CALLED ME A TINY LITTLE PIPSQUEAK! LET ME AT 'IM!" Edward lunged forward, but was caught midair by a swipe from Alphonse.

The Doctor chuckled. "I'm sorry. I wanted to see it for myself."

Edward grumbled incoherently and crossed his arms mutinously over his chest. "Do I at least grow taller in the future?" he asked, turning a desperate face on the Doctor.

"Hmm, let's see…You will reach a fork in your life. If you continue down your current path, your growth will be stunted forever, but if you choose to drink your milk, you will find the results quite satisfying."

"NO WAY IN HELL!" Edward exclaimed. "I'm not drinking that awful stuff!"

Riza rolled her eyes. "Doctor, stop messing with him."

"He makes it too easy." After a pause, the Doctor said, "No, I don't think you'll be short forever. Your body is indirectly sustaining yourself and your brother. I recommend you retrieve your bodies sooner rather than later."

"Trust me, we're going to," said Edward. "No wonder I'm so damn hungry all the time."

"And tired," Alphonse added. "You sleep an awful lot."

"Do not," Edward mumbled.

The Doctor deadpanned. "It's dawn," he said. "Once General Mustang gets here, we need to take Hughes down."

"Don't worry, I'm here," a familiar voice said from nearby. "Let's get this over with."

Riza smiled at her fake fiancé and placed a hand on her gun. Maybe Envy thought he was going to lure them inside where he could take advantage of civilian safeguards, but she had other plans in mind. "Yes, let's." In one smooth motion, Riza pulled the gun from its holster and pointed it at Roy's head.

Roy quickly put his hands up, looking shocked. "What are you doing? Do you know who your gun's pointed at?"

Trying to suppress the memory of what had happened last time Envy posed as Roy and asked her that question, Riza huffed contemptuously. "Who? Don't make me laugh. We know it's you, Envy."

"No…" Roy turned a desperate look on the Elrics. "The homunculi must have caught wind of our plan. What the hell did you do with her, you monster?" he demanded.

Despite everything, Riza burst out laughing. "Really, this is your play? I already knew Envy wasn't posing as Hughes in the first place."

"Don't lie to me! Tell me what you did with her, or so help me—"

"So help you, what?" Edward interjected. "If you're so sure this is a homunculus, then torch him already!"

Roy blanched, then grinned widely. "You're a perceptive one. When did you figure it out?"

"The moment you stepped in the TARDIS," Riza replied, deadpanning. "Now you can either tell me where you're holding the real General Mustang, or I'll empty my gun into your skull. Your choice."

This time, it was Envy's turn to laugh. "You act like you know me so well, and then you think bullets will intimidate me?" Before he could mock her further, Riza fired three shots: one in his head, one in his neck, and one in his chest, knocking him backward a few steps. The bullets fell to the ground as his body regenerated itself. "Ow. You'll have to do better than that," he said, smirking inhumanly.

"She doesn't have to do anything," a new voice said. Before Envy could turn to face the newcomer, a stream of fire coursed through the air, connected with Envy, and engulfed the homunculus in a huge wave of flames. "Stand back," he ordered the others. "You don't want to get caught up in this." Once they were clear, Roy sent another series of flame attacks against the writhing figure on the ground, his eyes cold and calculated. "You should have known better than to invoke my image and use it against people I care about."

"How is this possible?" Envy managed to cry in between his incessant screams of agony. "We have you in lockdown!"

"Think again!" Roy brought down one wave of flame after another, burning every inch of Envy's body over and over again before it had the chance to fully regenerate itself.

From the sidelines, Edward tightened his hands into fists. "Isn't he going a little too far with this?" he asked.

"The Colonel knows what he's doing," Riza assured them, her expression unreadable. "We need Envy alive, and he knows that. He will reduce that…thing…to its true form so we can question it more thoroughly."

"True form?" Edward echoed. "It has a true form?"

Riza nodded. "Yes. You will see it soon enough."

"Tell me," Roy said from nearby, ceasing his attacks for a moment, "how many times do I have to kill you before you stay down?"

Envy glared hatefully at the flame colonel. His body crackled with a red regenerative charge and his heavy breathing indicated he was not ready to attempt a counterattack yet. "You're a fool to underestimate me," he seethed, metamorphosing back into his default form. "You really think I came alone?"

Roy poised to attack again, but froze in place as he felt an unfamiliar sensation creep over his body and hold him still. The only feeling he could compare it to was a long and thin—yet durable—cord snaking itself around his head, neck, arms, chest, and legs. A rush of panic coursed through him as he tried to pull free, but every move he made only tightened the phantom grip on him.

"Colonel!" Riza whipped out two more guns and fired them on Envy, determined to finish the job before he could join the fight. "Help me!" she ordered the Elrics.

"You should stop firing now," a chilling voice said from the shadows. "You know I can kill him." Roy groaned in pain as the shadowy homunculus tightened his grip even further and sliced into his cheek, drawing blood.

Edward gritted his teeth. "You bastard…"

"He's too valuable to you," Riza stated, trying to buy time for the Doctor, who had since made a beeline for the TARDIS. "You wouldn't kill him."

"Don't be so sure about that." Pride tightened his grip once more, causing Roy's eyes to pop a little and roll backward. "We have little use for him now that we have his future self in custody."

Riza tried not to let the terror show through. "If you kill him, how do you know your prisoner won't cease to exist?"

"You make a fair point," Pride admitted, "but we need him alive. Not well." Roy gasped as the homunculus squeezed him so tightly that his airflow and blood flow were restricted. "If you don't back down now, I can't promise the damage to the colonel will be reversible."

"Easy now, Pride. We still have work for the good colonel." Fuhrer Bradley stepped onto the scene, followed closely by Gluttony. "The Elrics, too. Hello, boys," he greeted the brothers.

Edward clapped his hands together and sharpened his automail arm into a weapon. "If you think we're just gonna come quietly with you, then you've got another thing coming."

"You really are a good fighter, Fullmetal," Bradley commented, "but you're way out of your league here." He turned his attention on Roy and Pride once more. "Let him breathe, Pride. Father wants him alive and operable."

Pride loosened his grip on the colonel, who took a series of gasping breaths in response. His vision was blurred, but he was pretty certain he could see the Fuhrer reaching for his gloves. _No way_, he thought. _If I'm going down, I'm going down fighting._ Without warning, Roy snapped his fingers together to send a pinpoint attack on Envy, who had just completed his full recovery from the earlier assaults. Pride extended a razor-sharp tentacle to slice Roy's gloves off, but it was too late. Envy was already reduced to a small green slug surrounded by the disintegrating ashes of his shapeshifting body.

"No!" Envy cried. "Not this! You dumb human! How could you do this?!"

Praying the Doctor would follow through, Riza seized the opportunity and lunged forward to grab Envy's small form. As Bradley and Gluttony turned on her, the familiar sound of the materializing TARDIS rang through the streets. Riza tightened her grip on the small homunculus, feeling a rush of relief as the walls materialized around her.

Seeing as they had run out of options, Gluttony tackled Alphonse to the ground while Bradley surged forward and pinned Edward to the wall of a nearby building. Pride, furious that he had been played, squeezed and slashed at the flame colonel until he went limp. As the unconscious officer crumpled to the ground, Pride grumbled, "You're lucky my father wants you alive."

* * *

"Major Armstrong, what can I do for you?"

"Lieutenant General Grumman, it is good to see you," Alex greeted him. "I was told I could trust you."

Grumman smiled and gestured for the large man to have a seat while he prepared tea for the two of them. "Of course. Did Mustang send you?"

Alex hesitated. "Not exactly. Something is happening, and I need your help."

"Do you?" Grumman took a seat across from his guest and cocked his head curiously to one side. "Tell me what's on your mind, and I'll see what I can do."

* * *

Roy couldn't sleep, per se, but he did manage to drift into a half-assed dozing state for an hour or so. When the door to their cell opened, the shock of the sudden disruption jolted him back into the painful reality he had been trying so hard to phase out of.

"Hello, gentlemen," Kimblee greeted them. "It's your lucky day, Hughes. Turns out the father's plans for you are being accelerated."

Roy watched dizzily as the crimson alchemist unfastened the Lieutenant Colonel's restraints, pulled the man to his feet, and draped one of the prisoner's arms over his shoulder so he could help him walk. "How exactly does that make him lucky?" Roy asked, too exhausted to come up with a smart remark.

"He'll be taken good care of, for starters," Kimblee explained. "More than I can say for you."

"Wait…where are you taking him? What are the plans?" Roy demanded, wishing his hoarse voice would sound as intimidating as he intended.

"None of your concern. You'll find out soon enough, though."

All Roy could do was watch as his best friend was led away to God-knows-where to do hell-knows-what.

* * *

"A coup? You really think my troops alone can pull this off?" Grumman asked.

"You'll have help," Alex assured him. "You are holding a training exercise with the men of Briggs this year, right?"

Grumman nodded. "Yes. It will be on my turf for once. Are you suggesting we team up and storm Central?"

"Yes, but you must be careful who you trust, and the timing must be perfect. We still have plenty of time before the Promised Day, but the coup must happen a day or two beforehand. It will be your job to keep the Central troops busy while myself, Hawkeye, Colonel Mustang, and the Elric brothers halt the father's plans."

"That is quite the task, but I must say I'm glad to be a part of this," Grumman told him. "All right, you've got my attention, but I have a feeling I was the easy one, am I right?"

Alex grimaced. "Yes. My sister will require little motivation to take part in a coup, but…" He shuddered. "I hate to be the messenger."

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or Fullmetal Alchemist. If I did, I would probably demand an epic animated crossover be created immediately. This is why I don't own nice things.**

**AN: Hard to tell who's got the upper hand here, but it looks like both sides have great things in store for their enemies. As for Hughes…well…you'll just have to find out when I post the next chapter. Thanks again for your patience, and I hope you continue to enjoy my story! Live long and prosper, my readers! Oh, and review, too. I like reviews. They make me happy. So live long, prosper, and review, folks!**


	14. Chapter 14: Exploited Weaknesses

**Chapter 14: Exploited Weaknesses**

**Guess what? I graduated from college! You know what that means? Hopefully more updates. I'm sorry for keeping you waiting so long! To make up for it, I cooked up a nice long chapter for you guys, and I'll start working on the next one this week. I can't promise frequent updates, but I'll try to dedicate more time to this story whenever I can.**

**413nepetaleijon: I can see where having two Roys can get timey-wimey, so I try to insert their military ranks every now and then to make it easier to follow (Colonel Mustang being the past one and General Mustang being the future one). Hopefully my context clues are helpful. FMAB is so much fun to write, and there are so many directions I could take it, so it definitely takes a lot of careful planning to determine which path to take to keep it interesting. I'm very glad you're enjoying it so far!**

**BakedBeanFart: Your username is awesome. Glad you liked the chapter!**

**MomoPeachFlower: You make a very good deduction. I can't say much more than that until more is revealed, but keep it in mind. I don't want to be too predictable, so I'll probably find a way to spin things around in future chapters. ;)**

* * *

Fuhrer Bradley stood motionlessly by the window behind his desk, hands clasped behind his back. Sitting on the other side of the desk were Colonel Mustang, Edward, and Alphonse, the former two bearing expressions comparable to a young child sitting in time out for stealing sweets, while the latter was constitutionally unable to express his present anxiety. The awkward silence was deafening as the three offenders waited in uneasy anticipation for their punisher to make known his intentions.

Edward cast a worried glance at the flame colonel, who seemed to be trying a little too hard to hide the extent of the effects his injuries were having on him. Pride had really done a number on the guy; the fact that he was sitting straight despite the nasty gashes and internal damage was a miracle. If they got out of this alive, Edward would see to it that his commanding officer got to a hospital. _I'd better not let on that I'm worried, though_, he thought. _Cocky bastard would never let me hear the end of it_. Colonel Mustang could be a jerk, but he was the closest thing to a father right now.

After an uncomfortable silence that seemed to last forever, Bradley spoke without turning to face them. "You really shouldn't have meddled with our plans. I tried to warn you to leave well enough alone, but all three of you have made yourselves unpredictable wild cards. I couldn't sit back and tolerate your insubordination any longer."

"If that's the case, then why are we still alive?" Roy asked. His voice was strained from the damage of Pride's earlier strangulation.

"Because you're not going to learn your lesson if you're dead, solider," Bradley replied. "Killing the three of you would be a waste of valuable resources."

Edward tightened both hands into fists. "Is that what we are to you? Resources?"

Bradley turned a withering expression on the young alchemist. "In my opinion, all humans are worthless scum that should be eliminated. If you were not useful to us, we would not be having this conversation. Consider yourselves lucky."

"Yeah, he's looking pretty lucky," Edward mumbled, jerking his head toward Roy. "If this is how you people treat your valuable resources, then I'm good, thanks."

Ignoring Edward's discontented grumbling, Bradley continued. "We may have erred in letting you run unchecked this long, but dogs can be trained."

"Oh, yeah? And what if we don't want to be your dogs anymore?" Edward whipped out his silver, blood-encrusted pocket watch and stared at it a moment. "I only joined the military because I thought it would help us get our bodies back, but now…now I know what the State Alchemist program really is. You're using it as a way to recruit your sacrifices. Well, I'm not going to let you use me to accomplish your sick goals." With that, he chucked the watch across the table and slammed his automail hand down for emphasis. "I resign my title as a state alchemist!" he declared.

Bradley was unfazed. "The symbol of a dog, fittingly encrusted with blood."

"You're plans are gonna fail," Edward asserted. He wasn't sure where this surge of confidence was coming from, but he didn't dare question it. What did he have to lose, anyway? The Fuhrer had already said the three of them were too valuable to kill. "I swear on my own grave I'm gonna stop you. I'll warn the other state alchemists! I'll tell them—!"

"What was that lovely young girl's name again?"

Edward stiffened. "Huh?"

"Ah, yes." Bradley tapped his temple a few times as if recalling something from memory. "It's Winry Rockbell." Both Elrics immediately sprang to their feet. "Your automail engineer…and you grew up with her in Resembool if I'm not mistaken. She's practically a family member, isn't she? I heard that she's made quite a name for herself with her customers in Rush Valley. Such a sweet and trusting girl…"

"You stay away from her!" Edward exclaimed, furious beyond comprehension. "Just leave her out of this!"

"Well, that's up to you." Bradley tapped the watch a couple of times to make his point before sliding it back to the young alchemist. "If you'd rather not take it, then I will simply have to cut her down." When Edward grudgingly shoved it back in his pocket, the wrathful homunculus finally smiled. "How thoughtful. As for you…" He turned to Roy. "Before you make any bold statements, need I remind you who your weaknesses are?"

Roy tightened his jaw. "No, sir. That won't be necessary."

"You say that now, and I believe you, but just for insurance…" Bradley passed a paper across the desk for Roy to inspect. The document was a written order to relocate the following members to new posts effective immediately: Sergeant Major Kain Fuery to the South, Warrant Officer Vato Falman to the North, Second Lieutenant Heymans Breda to the West, and Second Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye to the Office of the Fuhrer. Roy blanched as he read it. "The transfer orders have already been issued. She'll be under my watch from here on out. Are we clear?"

Roy's shoulders slumped, and Edward watched in agonizing silence as a shadow of defeat crept over the colonel's features. "Yes, sir," he quietly replied. "I know my place." The flame alchemist, so powerful and arrogant, was reduced to this humiliated state by mere words. It was sickening how easily Bradley could manipulate all three of them with simple blackmail. The worst part was he was serious, and they all knew it. Bradley was not bluffing; if they didn't behave, he would carry out his threats in a nanosecond.

"Good. If we're all on the same page, then we have nothing more to discuss." Bradley returned to his post by the window. "You're dismissed."

* * *

"You're being irrational."

"No, I'm not!" Riza paced furiously around the TARDIS, stopping to inspect the small green worm-like creature Envy had been reduced to. "Offering Envy as a trade is the only way to get Roy back from the homunculi. We can't do this without him. His alchemy—"

"This is not about his alchemy, and you know it," the Doctor insisted. "If you associate with them, you put the timeline at greater risk than before. It's bad enough that you revealed your identity as a time traveler to some of your friends in this timeline, but it would be even worse to make bargains." In a few graceful strides, he closed the distance between himself and Riza, tilted her chin away from the seething homunculus in the glass encasement. As their brown eyes met, the rigid defiance in Riza's face and posture only increased. The Doctor sighed and ran an aggravated hand through his hair. "Look, you have to understand. This is not your time. Everything you do has consequences…more so than the actions of the people who live here. Bargaining with the homunculi will put a spotlight on yourself as a time traveler and unleash a chain of events that were not intended for this timeline."

Riza bit her lip. "I understand that, but the homunculi are not meant to hold a time-traveling Roy Mustang as their prisoner in this timeline, either. He's a strong man, Doctor, but even he has a breaking point. Do you really want to risk letting him reveal information about our mission? About your TARDIS and what it can do?"

"You have a point, and trust me, I thought of that as well," the Doctor responded. "We will get him out of there, but it won't be through bargaining."

"How, then?" she challenged him.

"Getting to that part." The Doctor leaned against the console and donned his brainy specs. When Riza opened her mouth to question him further, he promptly threw up an index finger. "Shh. Thinking."

While the Doctor was lost in thought, Riza studied Envy's pitiful form. The tiny homunculus had mostly tried to ignore her up to this point, but he seemed to think better of it as tensions rose between the soldier and the Time Lord. "Isn't it kinda obnoxious that he keeps shooting down all your ideas?" Envy whispered. "He thinks he's so smart just because he has a fancy time machine. Don't you know better than him since you lived this? I mean, come _on_! He's just your chauffeur! It's about damn time you start treating him like it!"

"Shut up." Riza turned her back on Envy's encasement. "I won't let you coerce me into bringing you to your father. Nice try, though."

The Doctor, meanwhile, was mumbling to himself. "Something in this timeline…or someone, rather…is still out of place…" Suddenly, he broke into a grin as an idea occurred to him. "Eureka!" He frowned thoughtfully at the exclamation. "Where did that word even come from? Hmm…Ah, good old Archimedes. Clever man, Archimedes. Quite the scholar. When all of this is over, I might visit him again—"

"Doctor, you're losing me," said Riza.

"Right. Sorry! Yes. Hold onto something." The Doctor ran excitedly around the console, flipping switches, pushing buttons, and pulling levers as he went. "Allons-y!"

Riza grabbed onto the nearest pole as the TARDIS shuddered to life. "What is it? Where are we going?"

"You'll see!"

* * *

"Hungry?"

Maes sat up in bed, startled by the sound of Kimblee's voice. Having slept and eaten on what seemed to be an irregular schedule, he wasn't sure how much time had passed since he was dragged out of the cell and locked in a dank-yet-cozy bedroom. The dark stone walls were hardly appealing, and the dim lighting wasn't easy on the eyes, but after all the hell Maes had been through since the homunculi had captured him, this small living space was almost heavenly. "Why do you people suddenly care so much about my well-being?" he asked, sliding off the bed and onto the small, dark purple area rug that extended a couple of feet each way around his bed.

"You ask that every time I bring you food," said Kimblee, "and I'll tell you the same thing I told you every other time: you need to get your strength up for a greater purpose." The crimson alchemist set a plate of food on a nearby table at the foot of the bed. "The sooner you strengthen up, the sooner we can move forward with you."

"That's not good enough," said Maes. His stomach rumbled as the smell of roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, and spinach quiche flooded his senses. Although the quiche would never compare to his wife's preparation, it was mouthwatering nevertheless. "The homunculi have done nothing but beat me senseless and leave me for dead in a nasty cell from the moment I got here. What's different now?"

"You're looking better," Kimblee commented, ignoring the question completely. "I see you've been using the exercise equipment over there. Is the bed comfortable enough? Are you getting enough to eat?"

These words, normally used as an expression of concern or hospitality, made Kimblee's smooth yet naturally-villainous voice sound more unnerving than ever. Although Maes refused to admit it, he actually was feeling a lot stronger. Between the cozy bed, accessible workout equipment, and regular nourishment, he almost felt like his old self. "Yes, everything's fine," he said at last. It was obvious he wouldn't get a straight answer out of the cheeky bastard. "If you won't answer my other questions, then please…at least answer this one: is Roy okay?"

"Mustang's alive," Kimblee answered. "As for okay…well, I'll let you be the judge of that."

Maes frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The father has a plan. You have an important role to play, but you're not quite strong enough for it yet. In the meantime, he would like to make use of you," he explained. "The homunculi have a task for you, Hughes, and they won't take no for an answer."

A sinking feeling crept over Maes. He was growing increasingly unsettled by the direction this conversation seemed to be heading. What were the chances this task would actually end well? "What is it?" he asked.

A sadistic expression crossed Kimblee's features for a fraction of a second, but it was gone too quickly for Maes to be certain he had seen it. "The father needs information, and he believes you would be the best one to get it." At a skeptical expression from Maes, he added, "No, you won't be torturing him. If that was all it took to get him to talk, I'd have done it myself."

"Why me?"

"Mustang trusts you. He would be more likely to open up to his best friend than to me, the military, or the homunculi," Kimblee told him. "I have a list of things for you to get from him, and I'll go over it with you before I send you in there."

Maes crossed his arms stubbornly across his chest. "Why not send Envy? He could pose as Hawkeye or something." When Kimblee didn't reply, Maes made a quick deduction. "Unless… You don't have Envy on your side anymore, do you? Something happened to him."

"That's none of your concern," said Kimblee, quickly re-establishing his apathetic swagger. "Envy's not accessible right now. He's probably off doing the father's bidding. How should I know? It's not my job to keep track of him. I'm just here to walk you through your orders."

"If you don't have Envy, then you've got nothing," said Maes. "I won't do this." There was no way he was going to manipulate his friend this way, especially with everything at stake. If he tricked Roy into revealing whatever secrets he was protecting from the future, there would be chaos. Maes couldn't even imagine what terrible things the father would do with such knowledge. If Roy was going to such great lengths to keep the information to himself, there was no telling how dangerous it could be in the wrong hands. "You can't make me."

"Can't I?" Naturally, Kimblee took this as a challenge. "We will get that information one way or another. We could do it the easy way—that's your cue—or the hard way, which would be far more painful for the flame alchemist. Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to have your fingernails ripped out one by one?"

Maes tightened his jaw. "Whatever you do to Roy…I'm sure he's already prepared to go through it to protect whatever it is he's protecting. He would never forgive me if I gave into your demands just to spare him more pain." While he believed the words to be true, it was still unbelievably hard to say them. He didn't want his own stubbornness to cause Roy more agony, but there was no way he could let himself make the same mistake General Mustang had made. No matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't sacrifice the country for the sake of his friend. He just couldn't.

"Well, that's cold. If you won't do this to spare your best friend…would you do it to spare your wife and daughter?"

Shock, rage, terror, and a mess of other swirling emotions coursed through Maes at the mention of his family. "You wouldn't dare."

"Try me." Kimblee chuckled. "You're looking a little pale there, Hughes. Is this you changing your mind?"

Maes gritted his teeth, cried out in anger, and punched the lamp atop his bedside table. _Screw the damn country. Screw all of it. I can't let him hurt them. I can't…_ Heaving, he braced one hand against the wall and hung his head, shaking uncontrollably. "Go to hell," he whispered. How could he be so weak? Was this blind desperation the same feeling Roy had experienced when given the chance to go back in time and reverse the shooting?

"I'm sorry? What was that?" Kimblee leaned forward a little. "I didn't quite catch that."

Without turning around, Maes mumbled, "I'll do it. Just…don't hurt them. Please."

Kimblee looked very pleased with himself. Maes would have loved nothing more than to punch the smug grin off the cocky asshole's face. "That wasn't so hard, now was it?"

"How do you know this will even work?" Maes asked, hoping against hope he could back out of this. "He's smart. He'll know I'm trying to get information from him."

Kimblee laughed. "The man's been hanging from a wall in solitary confinement for days without food or water. He's delirious. Play your cards right and you'll milk it right out of him. Screw up, and…well, you know what happens."

* * *

When Alex arrived in the northern region of Amestris, it was not long before his trek was interrupted by a Briggs patrol. He quickly put his hands up and allowed the white-clad men to search through his belongings. "I'm not a spy," he insisted. "I'm here to see my sister, Olivier Mira Armstrong."

"Who says the general wants to see you?" one of the soldiers demanded, glaring suspiciously at the major's identification materials.

"Trust me, she will want to be a part of this," Alex told him.

The soldier turned away. "We'll let the general determine that herself. Come on, you'd better keep up. I've seen men larger than you crumble like little babies in this weather."

The trek was cold, quiet, and incredibly awkward. When the four men arrived, they found Briggs on red alert. Immediately, the squad leader held a gun to Alex's head. "Did you know about this? Is that why you're here?" he demanded.

"I…I don't know! Please, you have to let me in there to help!" Alex cried. If the time travelers were right, there was probably a homunculus sighting in the main hangar and the men of Briggs would shortly be joined—or, more accurately, commandeered—by troops from Central Command. "I'm a state alchemist; you've seen my credentials!"

"I don't care if you're the damn Fuhrer," said the squad leader. "We don't like outsiders around here, especially Drachman spies or tigers from Central. You ain't got my trust till you've earned it. Now move." He nudged Alex forward with a gun. "You can stay in a holding cell till the general's ready to see you."

"We don't have time for that," Alex said desperately. "If that's what I think it is, then you'll be seeing more men from Central than just me, and I can assure you they won't have your best interests in mind as I do."

There was a brief hesitation as the squad leader turned to his team. "We're behind you, sir," one said. "Whatever decision you make."

"All right, you can accompany us, but there are conditions. You will reveal everything you know when the red alert has passed, and don't you dare leave my sight. If you make me regret this, I'll shoot you in the leg. Are we clear?"

"Understood." The squad leader was definitely suspicious of how much Alex seemed to know about the red alert, and that was understandable. "Lead the way."

* * *

When Maes stepped into the prison cell, his heart sank. Roy was hanging right where they had left him, except he had since lost a lot of weight, and his unshaven face and unkempt hair made him barely recognizable. Maes didn't even want to think about how the cell's rancid odor and Roy's lack of bathroom access were connected. If it wasn't for the faint rise and fall of the general's chest, Maes would have thought his friend had died.

"Dammit, Roy…How much longer can you survive like this?" he muttered.

"Long enough." Maes was surprised to hear the battered man respond to his voice. "H-Hughes…you're alive…" Hoarse and dehydrated, Roy could speak no louder than a whisper.

"Yeah, you could say that." Restored from his days of recovery, Maes was thinking far more clearly than before, and now that he saw his friend with fresh eyes, he couldn't believe he was actually looking at a man from the future. "I guess I shouldn't be, huh?"

Roy closed his eyes. "N-no…and it's all my fault…"

"Hey, don't think like that. You did it to save me. I would have done the same for you. Here, I brought water." Gently, so as not to waste a single drop of the precious liquid, Maes eased a cup to the prisoner's lips and helped him swallow it.

Roy, who would normally be suspicious as to how Maes was here, why he looked healthy, and where the water had come from, was too far gone to question anything. "Thanks…I know y-you're not really here, but…thanks…"

_So he thinks he's hallucinating_, Maes thought. This would make the job far easier, but no less painful for Maes or for Roy. "I'm surprised you're seeing me and not Lieutenant Hawkeye," he said, going along with Roy's assumption that he was a mirage.

"You're my best friend, Hughes." His voice seemed to say _Duh_! "You're…also…my biggest regret."

"What do you mean?" Maes prompted, hoping this would lead somewhere that would satisfy Kimblee.

"I c-couldn't…couldn't save…you," Roy replied, forcing the words out, "and when I did s-save you, I…r-ruined…everything."

"What happened after I died?" Maes asked.

"Your daughter…she…she wouldn't stop screaming," Roy mumbled. "She wanted to know…to know why…why they were putting dirt on you." Maes felt his stomach churn, and for a moment, he forgot what he was there to do. Roy's disjointed musings had his attention. "You had a lot of work, you know. She was afraid y-you couldn't do your work with all that d-dirt on y-y-you…" Roy's dull black eyes seemed to see right past Maes. Perhaps a part of him was in another world. His mind certainly seemed to be going in different directions as it tried to function well enough to make conversation. "Your death…I was such a fool…" Roy closed his eyes. "Maybe it w-wasn't a fixed point in t-time, but it s-set a lot of things in motion."

"What did it set in motion?" Maes tapped his friend's cheek multiple times in an attempt to wake him up. "Roy! Stay with me. You have to tell me what my death set in motion."

"I looked into your death. I learned things. Things they d-didn't want me to know." Roy didn't seem to hear the question or remember he was talking to Maes, but words continued to spill out of his mouth nonetheless. "We s-stopped him…we s-saved Amestris…and now…now it's…it's unsaved…"

"So the father's plan failed?" Maes prompted.

"Sacrifices…" Roy muttered. "Doctor, I'm s-sorry…The circle…"

"What circle?" Maes asked. "And what doctor?"

"Gotta fix the timeline," Roy insisted. "It w-went to hell when I…when I s-saved…y-you."

Maes leaned forward and stared intently into his friend's eyes. "Roy, listen to me. You can save a lot of people by answering this question right here and now: tell me everything that happened after my funeral, including the part where you traveled through time to save me."

"You know what's ironic?" Roy whispered. "I went back in time…to save…to save you because I—I couldn't f-focus on what's important. I c-couldn't go on without…without you, but…but Riza…she's a l-lot stronger than m-me."

Maes frowned. "What do you mean?"

Roy smirked a little. "I'm still here."

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own FMAB or Doctor Who, and I definitely don't own the quotes I used from the anime, but I will hopefully own your respect and admiration as I continue to skillfully craft an alternate ending to the FMAB universe.**

**AN: A lot of good stuff going on! I wanted to take the individual stories further, but the chapter was getting too long, so I'll make more happen in the next one. I'm about to enter an area of no wifi for a few days, which will leave me with plenty of free time to work on this fic. 413nepetaleijon, I'm sorry I didn't get around to an Envy interrogation this time, but don't worry, it's coming! Thanks for reading, everyone, and please leave me your thoughts if you can!**


	15. Chapter 15: Loyalties And Priorities

**Chapter 15: Loyalties and Priorities**

**Hello, faithful readers! I have returned! A thousand apologies for taking so long to get this chapter out! I actually had it mostly written for a while, but graduating college and starting a new job kept taking priority. Thanks to all of you for being so patient! I will try to work on this fic during some of my lunch breaks so you won't be kept waiting so long next time. Please continue to bear with me as I balance my responsibilities with this story. I already have Chapter 16 mapped out, so it shouldn't take nearly as long next time. Without further ado, here lies the next chapter!**

**mebh: Hi there! I will definitely continue! It may not be as fast as I would like, but I promise to never abandon this story (barring tragedy, of course). Thank you so much for your kind words. ^_^**

**Dragonheart4258: You make a valid point, but the FMAB universe is not the same as ours. Yes, they use the same time measurement we do (days, months, years), but there was never an indication that Amestris is a country on the planet Earth. Also, we need to consider that the existence of alchemy may very well accelerate the innovation process. This grants me a significant amount of creative license when it comes to writing in this universe, so while it may not be canon that computers were invented in FMAB, fanfics themselves are not necessarily canon. Given that I try to keep my fics within the realm of possibility for the universe(s) I am writing in, I believe the level of innovation alchemy offers makes the invention of computers a possibility as well.**

**413nepetaleijon: Hello! I'm sorry I'm late! Thanks for your continued support!**

**Bluefoot: I will love the tenth doctor forever and always! :) I'm so glad you're enjoying it, and thanks for the great review! Reading your review this morning reminded me to get my butt in gear and give you guys a new chapter. Much appreciated!**

* * *

"What are you talking about?" Maes asked, offering more water to Roy.

"I told Riza to find my p-past self if things went to hell," Roy explained. The water seemed to revive him a little. While he was still having trouble forming coherent sentences, his mind seemed to be functioning a little better. "I t-told her not to rescue me. The m-mission is more important."

"What mission, though?" Maes hated grilling his best friend like this, but he had to know for the sake of his family.

A look of intense focus and determination crossed Roy's features. "To save the timeline. When R-Riza and I went back in time, I ch-changed everything by s-saving your life. We have to make sure everything h-happens the way it was m-meant to."

"And how was it meant to happen?" Maes prompted.

"The father's plan succeeded…until we stopped him." Roy went on to explain the role of Van Hohenheim's rebellious souls, Scar's reverse transmutation circle, and the father's inability to contain the power he'd absorbed. In the end, the combined effort to weaken the father led to his demise.

Maes wanted to stop Roy from speaking so openly. The more he revealed, the more ammunition the homunculi would have to ensure Roy's mission failed. There was no way he could indicate this to his friend without putting his wife and daughter in danger, however. All he could do was comment on Roy's recount of was supposed to happen. "Grumman? Really? Wow. Good choice," he commented. "Amestris could really use a man like Grumman running things."

"He is the reason Riza and I almost got married," said Roy. His expression darkened at the memory of the wedding. "If I hadn't taken the Doctor's offer to go back in time, we would be happily married right now instead of cleaning up my mess."

"The Doctor? Who's that? How exactly did you go back in time?"

"Funny story…"

* * *

"You did well in there."

The words had hardly left the crimson alchemist's lips before Maes went into a full-out heated tirade. "Delirious. You said he was delirious. Well, he was delirious, all right. So much so that I could hardly hold a conversation with him. You really need to get that man some nourishment. He's no use to you dead!"

Kimblee took the lieutenant colonel's arm and led him back to his room. "We'll handle Mustang. His well-being is none of your concern."

Maes pulled away, crossed his arms over his chest, and stopped moving. "It is very well my concern. He may be from the future, but he's still my closest friend. If you want me to get my strength up and cooperate, you need to promise me something."

In one smooth motion, the crimson alchemist whipped around, slammed Maes into the wall, and pinned him there. "You're in no position to make demands, Lieutenant Colonel Hughes," he said in a low voice. "Need I remind you that your wife and daughter will pay the price if you step out of line."

Without flinching or batting an eye, Maes pushed Kimblee off and re-planted himself. "You didn't let me finish. Yes, I'll cooperate, and yes, I'll get my strength up…eventually. But if you do this for me, then I will make bodybuilding my top priority. Take care of Roy. Please. The way you're treating him is unnecessary."

"I don't call the shots," Kimblee told him. "I just do what the father tells me to do, and yes, I enjoy it. I hate the flame bastard just as much as you love him. On another note, you should be making bodybuilding your top priority anyway if you want to keep your family safe."

Maes stiffened. "I don't like your method of persuasion. You can't keep holding their lives over my head to make me do your bidding."

Kimblee shrugged. "It's not my bidding, but I _will_ use it as long as it keeps your weak, sentimental ass in line. This is not a democracy; you do what they tell you to do, or there will be consequences. You don't have rights, you don't make demands, and you don't ask questions."

Not another word passed between the two men as they made their way back to the bedroom.

* * *

"Ask me where we are." The Doctor was grinning from ear to ear. "Go on, ask me what my brilliant plan is."

Riza raised an eyebrow. "Uh, where are we? What's your brilliant plan?"

"I was hoping you'd ask." The Doctor did a little skip as he moved away from the console to join her. "We're still in Central, but…different time of day. A couple days later, actually. Give or take. Anyway, if you step outside, you'll find it's midday and a certain someone from Xing is lying in the streets begging for food."

"Ling Yao?" Riza's eyes widened. "Doctor, you're a genius."

The Doctor nodded. "Well, yes. Sort of comes with being a nine-hundred-year-old Time Lord. Clever, right? Go on, then! Rescue your alchemist in distress and set the stage for Ling Yao to take up his role as Greed. Don't forget to bring back a souvenir from your excursion!"

"You're not coming?"

"Nope. I'm going to have a chat with our friend." The Doctor jerked his head toward Envy's glass encasement. "We'll have a great time. Shame you can't stay. Oh! Before I forget…If you need me, use this." He pressed a small black device into her hand.

Riza inspected it. "What…what is that?"

The Doctor sighed. "I'm breaking so many rules of time by giving you this. It's called a cell phone. Your people haven't invented it yet. It's like a regular phone, except portable."

"What? How is that even possible?" she demanded, opening the phone and staring at it in wonder.

"Never mind that. Just push these buttons here if you need to call me."

_Fuery would have a ball with this._ As much as she wanted to inspect it further and ask more questions, she had been keeping Roy waiting long enough. If he was still alive, there was no way he was in good shape. Ling was late to the Greed party as well, so it was high time she introduced the two. Maybe if she lived through this, she could learn more about the mysterious device that makes portable communication a reality. "Right. Will do. Good luck, Doctor."

"Good luck to you as well. Don't die, please."

Riza smiled. She had really grown to like the quirky Time Lord. "Is that an order, sir?"

"Don't call me sir, but sure, it can be an order if you want it to be. Now get out of my TARDIS."

* * *

"You know, I'm getting pretty tired of babysitting Mustang and Hughes. Don't you have anything more…fulfilling for me to do?"

The father gazed down at Kimblee with an expression that could be compared to a bored man swatting an obnoxious fly away from his face. "You dare come before me to make requests? You are nothing more than an ant to me, and yet you speak as though you are on the same level as my children. You are replaceable."

Kimblee shrugged. "Maybe, but you're a little short-staffed lately. I could be very useful to you out there." Since his days as a cold-blooded killer in Ishval, adjusting to everyday life had proven impossible for Kimblee. He could no longer function as a normal civilian or even a simple officer without the pleasure of the hunt and the satisfaction of the kill. As long as he had a purpose—and a live target—he was happy. Even inflicting torture on Roy Mustang had lost its appeal because the broken fool couldn't fight back anymore.

While the father had once shared a similar hunger, he had since shirked his desire to personally claim human lives when he divided his characteristics into functioning homunculi. Nowadays, his only interest was the accumulation of human souls, the acquisition of power, and the successful implementation of his carefully-calculated plans. Whether or not he personally carried out the dirty work was of no consequence to him. As a result, Kimblee's request carried little weight and, frankly, the father didn't give a damn what his human pawn wanted. "Until Hughes is fully restored, you are needed here," he said with a note of finality.

"Hughes is almost ready," Kimblee interjected. "Please, I got all the information from Mustang that you requested. Let me get my hands dirty." There were no words to poetically describe his deep yearning for the musical screams of terror emanating from his victims as they pitifully begged for their lives or the satisfying gush of hot, thick, sticky blood the color of Kimblee's alchemic title flowing from their wounds—inflicted by the skillful murderer himself—and onto his very hands…the hands that had the power of life and death…the hands that personally selected the men, women, and children thenceforth deemed unworthy to continue existence.

Pride, who was stationed beside his father, took a step forward. "Do you want me to slit his throat?"

The father shook his head. "That will not be necessary. If the crimson alchemist truly wishes to do my bidding beyond these walls, he can fulfill Envy's task of carving the crest of blood at Fort Briggs."

"You really trust a human to do the job of a homunculus?" Pride wrinkled his nose at the very idea. It was bad enough they kept this human around in the first place. Envy may have found camaraderie with the crimson alchemist, but Pride was above that.

"Do not question your father, my son." He turned his permanently-apathetic gaze on the alchemist below. "Solf J. Kimblee, I instruct you to carve a crest of blood in the northern territory. Do whatever is necessary to inflict mass casualties at Fort Briggs. Only then will the circle be truly complete."

Kimblee dipped his head. "With pleasure." While he had no idea how to carry out such a difficult task, his relief at the bloodstained assignment outweighed his uncertainty over the feasibility of pulling one over on the men of Briggs. _If I fail, he'll kill me for sure_. Unlike Hughes, who was the epitome of weakness with his soft spot for that disgustingly charming family of his, Kimblee's only interest was his own life and ambitions. A third of the population could spontaneously combust for all he cared; heck, he'd be honored to carry out such a gruesome task himself and roll around in their ashes. Perhaps this was why the homunculi detested him less than the other humans in Amestris; he didn't let emotional attachments get in the way of his ruthless and bloodthirsty desire to kill everything and everyone that got in his way of the things he wanted. As a result, his own life would be the only payment he had to offer if he failed. A small part of Kimblee wondered if the father expected him to fail. After all, this was Briggs he was talking about. _Gotta think outside the box on this one. Hopefully something will come to me soon._ "Thank you for this opportunity. You can consider it done."

Once the human was gone, Pride turned his attention back to his father. "I have word that Sloth's digging has been interrupted at Fort Briggs. The men are engaging in combat with him, and the strong arm alchemist is among them. His sister is ambitious and could pose a threat if she learned the nature of our existence."

"Tell Wrath to send forces from Central Command to take control of Briggs," the father ordered. "Do whatever you can to put Sloth back to work. The circle must be completed in time for the promised day."

"Yes, father."

* * *

"Hungry…need…food…"

The young prince of Xing, clad in a mustard yellow jacket and loose white pants, hardly seemed intimidating from his current position sprawled pitifully on the ground, but Riza knew him well enough to not be fooled by his theatrics. To complete his dramatic performance, Ling squinted up at the Lieutenant General and attempted to raise his head, only letting it collapse as the effort of maintaining eye contact required strength he did not have. As his head hit the ground with a faint _thud_, his black ponytail and shaggy bangs fell in a limp heap around his face.

Sighing, Riza dropped a can of spam on the ground beside the young prince. "Ling Yao, I need a word with you."

Instantly, Ling shot to life and devoured the food within seconds. "Whew. Much better. Thanks. So…wait…how do I know you?"

"It's complicated," she replied. There really was no other response that would be appropriate for a public place. "Can we find somewhere private to talk? You can summon your bodyguards if it would make you more comfortable."

Ling stared her up and down, contemplating this. "What's in it for me?" he asked finally.

"The philosopher's stone."

At that, the prince immediately sprang to his feet and looked around as if to make sure they were not being watched. "Follow me."

The two made their way to a dark alley where Ling started assembling a small fire. "Let's see how long it takes them to—"

"Young Lord! Where have you been?" Fu demanded. "We have been looking everywhere for you!"

Ling grinned. "That has to be a new record."

In a fraction of a second, Lan Fan was standing behind Riza with a blade to her throat. "State your business."

Riza's combat instincts immediately kicked in as battle adrenaline coursed through her veins, but she had to refrain from giving into her default defensive response. If she attacked Ling's faithful bodyguard and friend, the Xing trio would be less likely to listen to her. "Please step back," she said with forced patience. "I'm here as a friend."

Ling casually waved his hand for Lan Fan to stand down. "It's all right. She has information about the philosopher's stone."

"I don't trust this," said Fu, narrowing his eyes and gripping his weapons. "Why would anyone volunteer such information to someone she knows nothing about?"

Riza dipped her head in a gesture of respect. "I understand you have the prince's safety at heart, and I can appreciate that. I also see how important your mission is to you. I'm here with the same things in mind: the safety of someone I love and the success of a mission that could save millions of lives if successful."

This seemed to change something in the air, as both bodyguards relaxed their cautious stances and took their places at Ling's side. The prince sat cross-legged on the ground and started work on putting the fire out. "I'm listening," he said. "Tell me everything…starting with how you know us."

This was it. Riza took a deep breath and launched into her story. As she explained the time travel parts, she was careful to keep the details to a minimum. Ling did not need to know the specifics of the future or the fact that his mission to become emperor would be successful. If there was one thing the Doctor had taught her, it was that messing with time tended to have regrettable consequences. "I can't tell you why, but you are destined to accept an injection of a liquid philosopher's stone," she continued. "Because Roy and I altered the course of the timeline, it falls to me to make sure you follow your fate."

Fu narrowed his eyes. "I do not trust this. How do we know you are not setting the young lord up to die?"

"When the homunculi inject him with the philosopher's stone, he will become more powerful," said Riza. "Additionally, your job will become a lot easier because the power that comes with the philosopher's stone will not only make him harder to kill, but also virtually untouchable. Greed has an ultimate shield, and when Ling becomes Greed, that impenetrable body shield will also become his."

Ling considered this. "I like that, but there's something more important I need to ask you. Will this do anything for me? Will I become the emperor of Xing? You're a time traveler, right, so you know what will happen to me if I do as you say."

Riza nodded. "Yes, I do, but I can't tell you the outcome of any of this. Telling you will just create a bigger paradox than before, and I can't risk damaging the timeline. I know you don't know me, but I need you to trust me. Would it be enough to say this is in your best interest?"

The bodyguards exchanged glances. Instinctively, they didn't want to trust her, but her chi seemed clear enough. "I do not sense deception," Lan Fan told her grandfather. "Do you?"

Fu shook his head. "I do not. She means what she says, and her cause is pure. Young Lord, if you so choose to follow the path this woman suggests, then my granddaughter and I will support you. It may be dangerous, but you would be wise to act on this information." At an approving nod from Ling, he and Lan Fan simultaneously moved into kneeling positions. "You have my sword, Riza Hawkeye."

"And mine as well," Lan Fan added.

"Good. Thank you." Riza let out a long breath of relief. This could have gone far worse. "I'll need both of you, actually. My ability to interfere is limited, so while Ling accepts the stone, I need one or both of you to rescue the general." Both bodyguards nodded. "Also, you can move around much more freely than I can. We can't move forward until we find out where the homunculi are holding Roy. I have a general idea of where their base of operations is, but it would be better not to go blindly into this. Can you scope out the area and draw schematics?"

"I will search the area while Lan Fan keeps her post by the young lord's side," said Fu.

Riza nodded. "I understand."

"So that settles it," said Ling. "Let's do this! What's the plan?"

"Well, the homunculi would be pretty suspicious if you waltz in and demand to be injected. You need to put up a pretty convincing charade about bringing that stone back to Xing for the sake of your clan. They'll resist you, but their father will find your spirit intriguing. No doubt he'll have you injected then and there. You are meant to be Greed, so there must be something about you that drives the Father to choose you."

Ling chuckled loudly. "Are you saying I'm greedy or something?"

"You want to become emperor of your country," Riza pointed out.

"Eh, fair point. All right, I'm in. Hurry up and get those schematics, Fu! I've got a philosopher's stone with my name on it."

"Right away, Young Lord." In a fraction of a second, Fu was gone.

While Ling sat by the fire, lost in thought, Lan Fan hesitantly approached Riza. "Miss Hawkeye." When the markswoman turned to face her, Lan Fan slowly removed the mask from her face in order to make her attempt at conversation a little friendlier. She felt vulnerable without it, but her senses never betrayed her before, so there was no reason to be uncomfortable around the blonde-haired soldier. "The man who is captured…do you love him?"

Riza's sad smile was the only response necessary to affirm Lan Fan's question. "Yes, I do."

"I thought you might. I…sensed something in you when you talked about him." Lan Fan was not used to talking this much with anyone outside her family—well, besides Ling—so this was a different experience for her. She felt a connection with Riza, however. Perhaps it was their shared desire to protect the ones they loved. "It must be hard to feel so powerless. To save him, I mean. I am truly sorry you have to worry like this."

"I won't deny that it's hard," Riza admitted. "I hate sitting back and wondering what those sick monsters are doing to him."

"Does it kill you inside to wonder if he's even alive?"

Riza shook her head. "He's not dead. I would know it if he was."

Lan Fan tilted her head to one side in confusion. "How would you know? His chi?"

"No. I would just…know. I can't explain it, Lan Fan, but…I don't think I have to." She nodded toward the Xingese prince. "I think you already know what I mean. All those times Ling rushes off into trouble and leaves your sight…you don't need his chi to know he's alive, do you?"

The young bodyguard blushed a little. "No, I don't. My feelings for the young lord are not important, though. What matters is I keep him safe and put his life before my own."

"But you love him."

The blush deepened. "Perhaps. Either way, uh…I…" She quickly tried to change the subject. "I know what your feelings are, and I know I would do anything if my lord was in your general's place, so I swear I will do whatever I can to bring him to you. When my grandfather returns and we go forth into the lair of the beast, I will ask him to keep watch over our lord while I personally see to it that your general is freed."

Riza smiled and, despite the clear discomfort of the Xingese bodyguard, pulled Lan Fan into an embrace. "Thank you."

* * *

**Disclaimer: I may have gotten a job, but that job does not involve the ownership of Doctor Who or FMA Brotherhood. I wish!**

**AN: I wanted to make this a little longer, but I also kind of wanted to get it out there quickly since I kept all of you waiting so long. I'm super excited about the next chapter, which I have mapped out already. There will be a LOT of intense action and feels in that one, and I'm so pumped to get it out there for you guys to read! Stay tuned, everyone, and thanks for your patience!**


	16. Chapter 16: Reborn

**Chapter 16: Reborn**

**Hi all, I've got another super long one prepared for you this time around! I'm sorry once again for the delay; I lost my job and then got a better one, so now that I'm getting adjusted into this new schedule, I'm finding the inspiration to take up writing again in my spare time. Hope you enjoy this latest chapter! I've got a ton of new ideas that I hadn't thought of before, and I'm so excited to get them out to you guys. As always, thanks for reading, and please review if you will! :)**

**TheRoseAlchemist17: Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm really glad you're enjoying this so far…and I'm especially honored that you like the way I'm portraying the characters! It's always been my goal to portray them as realistically as possible. Hope you like the new chapter!**

**Bluefoot: Feels are the best AND the worst! I love them and I hate them. I guess that goes for all of us. Funny you should mention that character. I think you might enjoy this chapter. ;) Wow, that's such a relief that you can hear their voices; I try to listen for their voices as I read over to make sure I can picture them doing and saying these things, so I'm glad you're noticing it, too! Character development is my favorite part about writing, hands down. ^_^ I like Brotherhood better, too! I might need to rewatch it again. I've already seen it 3 times.**

**413nepetaleijon: Hi, friend! Hope the test went well! You'll like this chapter, I hope; there's a nice long scene with the Doctor, and…the moment you've been waiting for! Can't wait to hear your thoughts on this one! :D**

* * *

"Well now, what have we got here?" The Doctor leaned forward a little so his face was in line with the small green creature inside the glass encasement. "Oh my, look at you! You are absolutely magnificent!"

Envy, who was curled up in a little ball, glared hatefully at the loud, overly-energetic man he had quickly come to despise. "Gimme some souls and I'll appeal to you even more," he grumbled, knowing such a thing was never bound to happen. "What the hell are you, anyway? You're obviously not human."

He hadn't really expected an answer, so he was surprised when the Doctor gave him one. "I'm a Time Lord from Gallifrey," he answered. "Unfortunately, I'm the reason this timeline is changing in the first place. None of this—" he waved his arms around the TARDIS for emphasis "—is supposed to be here right now. _I'm_ not supposed to be here. _Well_, not exactly…_well_…not this way, anyway. Not in these circumstances."

"You mean to tell me you've been here before?" Envy demanded.

The Doctor shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged his shoulders, puckering his face a little as he did so. "_Maybe_," he responded, drawing the word out a little bit. "I may or may not have had a hand in the way things ended…or were meant to end, I suppose. Doesn't really matter now; the timeline is, in a matter of speaking, in flux. Some things, though, like what happened in Ishval…I couldn't change them even if I tried. Enough about me, though. I'm more interested to know what makes _you_ tick. A walking, talking manifestation of one of man's seven deadly sins…quite extraordinary, if you ask me. I do wonder, though, why _those seven_ in particular? What is it about _labeling _and _grouping _that humans find so appealing?"

The little worm-like creature shrugged in the only way it was able. "Don't ask me. I don't waste my time trying to understand humans. All I've gathered is they're weak, predictable, and disgustingly sentimental."

"And yet you envy them." Envy froze as the Doctor voiced the one part of his nature that he had been keeping to himself since his father created him. How in the world did this alien know his most deeply-buried secret? _How_? As the homunculus continued to stare uncomprehendingly at his captor, the Doctor continued. "Sure, you're stronger than they are, but you can't think for yourself like they can. You can't feel or even begin to understand love, compassion, friendship…all the things that make human beings incredibly complex and wonderful creatures. You can't have children, nor will the relationship you have with your father ever be anything like the love and devotion human parents have for their children."

Envy slammed his little legs against the edge of the encasement, furious with this man for figuring him out. "You're wrong!" he shrieked. "The human race is flawed! I was created to be perfection…I can take any form I want! Can a human do that? _CAN THEY_?!"

"The human race is always striving to better itself," the Doctor replied calmly. "They make mistakes, they learn, and then they let those mistakes shape who they become and what they do in the future. They may always fall short of perfection, but the leaps and bounds they take to do better than they did before…extraordinary." He smiled sadly at his little prisoner and placed a hand on top of the encasement. "You, on the other hand…you were scientifically constructed to carry an entity's burden—its envious nature—and blindly follow its every order as though it really was your father. Everything about you was engineered, and though you were created to believe you are the epitome of perfection, you're also smart enough to know your artificiality makes you less than the humans you claim to believe are inferior."

He was right. Everything he said was right. Damn him. Envy was tired of listening to this. "What are you going to do with me?" he demanded, hoping to change the subject. "Kill me? Interrogate me? You can't keep me locked in here forever, and there's no way I'm talking."

"I don't kill unless I have to," the Doctor told him. "I have a different plan for you, actually. It's in progress as we speak."

Almost as if on cue, the encasement started to fill with a warm, golden light that seemed to be coming from Envy himself. "What…what's happening? What are you doing to me?"

"Genetic engineering," the Time Lord replied. "While we were chatting, I was waiting for a series of genetic codes to…upload, so to speak…into your body. I could never bring myself to give you human souls—repulsive, by the way, though I can't blame you for the way you were designed, which is completely out of your control—so I'm feeding you an upgrade instead. I found a way to use some of my DNA to…reprogram you."

"You _what_?" Envy was tired of the Doctor's sympathy, and he really didn't like the way he continuously referred to him as though he was a machine. "Don't act like I'm soft and innocent; I kill because it's fun. Because I _want_ to. Everything I do is _my_ choice, so you can believe I'm the victim of engineering all you want, but you just can't accept that I love to kill and there's nothing you can do to…to _reform_ me. I'm also not a robot, you idiot! You can't just _reprogram_ me!"

"No, I agree completely; you're _not_ a machine, but you _are_ an artificially-created life form that can be rewritten. You may hate me now, but once I finish expanding your mind, you'll thank me for showing you this." The Doctor truly hoped this experiment would result in a different fate for Envy. In the original timeline, Pride had been the only homunculus to survive the ordeal, and he didn't do so with his memories intact. Perhaps that was for the best, but while the Doctor was stuck here helping Roy and Riza undo the damage they had done to the timeline, he might as well try to save as many people as he can. Perhaps even Greed would be given the chance to survive.

The Doctor watched with bated breath as Envy completed his transformation, hopefully reborn into something slightly different than before.

* * *

Fu was taking longer than Riza was comfortable with. He had not been gone more than a couple of hours, but she was still anxious to get the rescue plan moving. Even Ling, who was normally pretty zen, was beginning to grow impatient. Now that he practically had the philosopher's stone in his grasp, every moment not spent going after it felt like a wasted moment.

While the other two were growing increasingly agitated, Lan Fan maintained a quiet vigil atop a small building nearby. If anything within a mile or so tried to come near their little encampment, she would know about it. Their chi felt like a spring that had built momentum but was not yet released, whereas she did not share their nervous anticipation. Lan Fan continued to channel feelings of serenity and senses of duty through her energy in order to keep her focused for the task ahead. A small part of her was worried about the danger this mission could put her prince in, but she refused to allow that fear to unbalance her. Distractions could get herself, her grandfather, or worse—her prince—killed, and she couldn't have that. If everything went according to plan, none of them would die tonight and Riza's lost love would be rescued. Lan Fan couldn't get over how strange Riza's chi felt, especially now that she knew the lieutenant general was from the future. It was almost as though its energy was out of place, or…out of time.

At last, Fu reappeared so stealthily that even Lan Fan admittedly missed his coming. He would probably scold her later as her perception needed to be sharper than that if she was to continue to serve by Ling's side.

"It was just as you said," Fu told them, raising a hand to silence Riza's nervous energy that was bound to push her into questioning him. "I was able to draw a map of the underground place. The energy there…the darkness and evil in the air…it was almost as though the place itself had fallen ill. We must take great care when we enter." Personally, the old bodyguard was not completely on board with this plan. When he had searched the area, every instinct inside him screamed to not only turn back, but also take the young lord far, far away from that horrible place. He highly doubted Ling would be receptive to such an idea, however. "If you want my advice, I would say we should not go through with this. The lair is filled with an evil greater than I have ever seen or felt."

Ling respected Fu and trusted him as though he was his own grandfather, but there was no way he could back out of this plan…not with the philosopher's stone being so close. "Your concerns are noted, but we have to do this," he said. "It's my destiny, right?"

Riza nodded. "It is…and I need to save Roy. I'll be nearby, but I'm afraid I can't go in with you. It's too dangerous for the timeline."

"Understood. We'll take it from here," said Ling.

"Thank you for all you have done for us." Lan Fan bowed gratefully and even managed a small smile. "We are indebted to you."

Once the lieutenant general had gone, Fu led Ling and Lan Fan to the entrance of the underground base. "We can move freely up there," he told them, indicating the system of pipes on the ceiling. "It might take a little longer, but we would be less likely to be spotted if we go this route."

"Okay, guys, let's get this done so we can go home," Ling coached them, sounding more confident than he probably should under the circumstances. "Remember the plan. When we hit the third junction, Fu and I will go left. You, Lan Fan, will go right and follow that path all the way to where the general is being kept. We'll meet up with Hawkeye at one of the designated locations."

Fu put a hand on his granddaughter's arm. "Don't get caught, do not act rashly, and no dying," he instructed her.

"I won't. I'll see you on the other side."

While Lan Fan went her separate way, Fu and Ling continued to navigate the pipes until they heard voices below. The Xingese prince bit back any comments he had on the evil presence in the facility. The darkness was overwhelming, but it wouldn't do to reveal himself prematurely. Everything counted on them sticking to the plan.

"This is not ideal," a calm-yet-bored voice said from below. "You may not have what it takes to become my Greed. The selfless acts you would take for your loved ones and your blatant disregard for the value of power could be your demise. Still, time is running short, and I am in need of Greed to fulfill my purposes."

Another voice, filled with defiance, followed the first one. "If I'm not an ideal candidate, then why did you take me hostage? I have a family, dammit, and I'm sick and tired of performing for you just to keep them safe."

"You will treat our father with more respect," a sinister voice hissed.

"You are not the ideal candidate," the first voice repeated. "Your friend, the flame alchemist, would make a perfect Greed. Unfortunately, I have a greater purpose in mind for him. Roy Mustang will become one of my sacrifices whether he chooses to or not. You, Maes Hughes, have a choice. You can either become what I need, or you can reject my gift and die."

There were some shuffling sounds as the man Ling and Fu had identified as Maes Hughes was slammed to the ground. "Some choice," he grumbled. "You're going to inject me with the damn thing whether I reject it or not."

"You misunderstand," the father told him. "Your body will be making the choice when we inject you. If you embrace it and allow the stone to become a part of you, then perhaps there is hope that you will survive. If you do not allow yourself to become greedy enough, your body will reject it and you will die slowly and, I assure you, quite painfully."

"Stone…is that…a philosopher's stone?" Maes demanded.

At that, Ling leaped from the ceiling and landed neatly in front of the father's makeshift throne, wearing a cocky grin as he did so. "Philosopher's stone, huh? I think I'd like to get in on that action." He took in the scene before him, trying to ignore the particularly awful chi emanating from the long-haired man clothed in white robes sitting atop the throne. The small boy holding the prisoner down was a force of evil himself, but not nearly as sickening as the man he had referred to as his father. The middle-aged man clothed in a blue military uniform and broken glasses was probably the soldier Hawkeye had mentioned Roy breaking the laws of time to rescue.

"Who is this human?" Despite the suddenness of Ling's appearance, the father's face remained unchanged. He seemed completely unbothered by the intrusion; if anything, he was intrigued.

The young prince leaped forward to take the needle from the boy who was poised to inject the soldier with its contents. "I'll be taking that. Nothing personal, but I need it a lot more than you do. It's the only way I can become emperor of Xing, see, so you understand why it's important to me."

"We'll see about that." The boy grinned as his shadows snaked out from beneath him and wrapped themselves around Ling, effectively trapping him and forcing him to drop his prize. His blood circulation started to fail as the shadowy tendrils tightened their grip, clearly intending to squeeze him until he popped. "You shouldn't have come here. Your mission ends here."

Fu poised to leap down to Ling's aid, but the father raised a hand before he could do so. "Loosen your grip and hold him down, Pride, but do not kill him."

"He invaded our base, Father," Pride objected. "Please let me flay him alive."

"No. This was a most fortunate happenstance. I have found my Greed."

* * *

Lan Fan crept through the tunnels, holding her breath periodically as if it would help prevent the horrendously evil chi from penetrating her senses. The darkness was almost too much to bear, but she had to push through and keep going. Eventually, she felt a weak pulse coming from below and, just as she had sensed in Riza Hawkeye, the energy seemed to be misplaced and out of time. _Well, she was right about one thing…Roy Mustang is definitely alive._ The chi was weakening, however, like a small flame in a snow storm about to go out. She had to hurry.

Upon ensuring the room was free of any intrusive chi other than Roy's, Lan Fan stealthily dropped to the ground without so much as a _thump_ to give her away. She wrinkled her nose as she tried to ignore the awful stench that had permeated every square inch of the cell. It was clear without even looking at the poor man that he had not been properly taken care of. "General Mustang?" she whispered, squinting through the eye holes in her mask to get a good look at him in the low light.

He was definitely not a sight to behold. Lan Fan's heart sank as she took in the dying man's ghastly figure, bedraggled hair, unshaven face, tattered clothing, and dull, unseeing eyes. She wasn't even entirely sure if he would be able to come back from this, but she had to try for Riza's sake. Alchemy was not a skill she possessed, so getting him out of the restraints that kept him hanging from the ceiling would not be easy. After searching the cell—including Roy's clothing—she found a small lock pick in his uniform. This man seemed prepared for anything, which wasn't entirely uncommon for an officer in the military.

After picking the lock to the cell door to ensure a quick escape, Lan Fan analyzed the suspended prisoner and, after noting how far he was from the ground, determined there was no way to pick the restraints without climbing onto him for support. "I'm sorry about this," she mumbled as she grabbed onto his legs, hoisted herself up, and wrapped her own legs gingerly around his waist so she could reach the restraints and pick at them. The flame alchemist didn't seem to notice her, which was both a good thing and a bad thing. His lack of responsiveness would make reviving him difficult, but not impossible. Once the locks were picked and the cuffs had fallen open, Lan Fan held onto the chains that were suspended from the ceiling, wincing as Roy fell unceremoniously to the floor. Knowing someone would probably come investigate the noise soon, she dropped gracefully to the floor and positioned the general so he was balanced over and across her shoulders. There really was no delicate way to carry a man almost twice her weight, and she didn't have time to be gentle.

"Hughes." Roy's voice, so faint that Lan Fan wasn't entirely sure she heard it, whispered in her ear. "Please…save him…"

"Hush. You need to save your strength," Lan Fan chided softly. "I'm sure someone will save him, but you'll die if I don't get you to safety right now." As she walked, she maintained a constant sensory check on the chi around her in order to ensure she was unchallenged on her way out of the underground facility. Her concentration was interrupted, however, by a chilling scream coming from behind her. The young bodyguard's blood ran cold as she recognized the voice of her prince and, forgetting Roy's fate altogether, doubled back to where the corridor opened up and saw, to her horror, that Ling was sprawled on the floor, his body twitching and convulsing as it reacted to whatever evil substance had been injected into him. She watched, terrified, as the convulsing stopped and his body lay motionless. "No!" she shrieked. "My Lord!"

Ling was dead, and Lan Fan was powerless to stop it. With her presence made known to the enemy, she instinctively turned and ran for the exit with Roy still wrapped around her shoulders. There would be time for vengeance later.

Greed shot to his feet and turned to look in the direction the screaming had come from. "Hey Dad, looks like someone's here. The prince's memories are telling me she came to break out your sacrifice."

"Bring her to me, my son," the father ordered.

During the confusion, Maes managed to slip away and make a beeline down one of the corridors. He had no idea how the hell he was going to get out of there, but he would be damned if he didn't try. That woman's screaming had given him the break he needed, and for that, he was grateful.

"This way!" a voice called. Maes glanced to his left to see a short, white-haired Xingese man running in step beside him. "The exit is this way!"

With nothing left to lose, Maes decided to trust the stranger and follow him out. It was a lot better than making a blind attempt to escape that would surely get him killed. Hopefully this man knew what he was doing.

* * *

Lan Fan fled Central City without looking back, clinging to the shadows and thanking the heavens it was dark outside. Her mind and body were completely numb after what she had just witnessed; every move she made was instinctual, as if she had become automated after seeing her prince die before her eyes. She tore through the woods, not bothering to spare herself or Roy the pain of branches and plants whipping in their faces and snagging at their clothing. She was fortunate to have a mask on to offer some protection, but she couldn't say the same for Roy. By the time they made it to a clearing with a small lake, both Lan Fan and Roy were covered in dirt, burrs, and scratches. Certain they were alone, she removed her mask and analyzed her companion's injuries.

Roy hardly looked worse than when she found him as she laid him down beside the lake and began to wash him up and pick the burrs out of his uniform. As she systematically cared for the general and gave him water from the flasks she kept on her at all times, the scene began to play over and over in her mind. She stopped in the middle of coaxing water from her flask to the general's lips as the extent of what had happened washed over her. Riza had tricked them into going after the philosopher's stone, and this pitiful man who depended on her to survive was the reason Ling was killed by those evil, twisted people whose chi was darker than blood.

"It's your fault!" she shrieked, tossing the flask aside with one hand and punching Roy in the jaw with the other. "My prince is _dead_ because of your woman! Because of _you_!" She punched him again and again, feeling blind rage course through her veins as her fury converted into punch after punch after punch until she became exhausted and, still kneeling, covered her face with her hands and sobbed uncontrollably.

When she uncovered her face long enough to look upon him, she could see he was awake: bruised and bloody, perhaps, but very much awake. It appeared the rations and water she had given him were enough to perk him up a little. He was still incredibly weak, however, and his face—now covered with fresh blood on top of the caked-on dirt and blood from before—was laden with confusion.

"Lan…Fan?" Roy's voice, sounding as hoarse as though he had just gargled sand, echoed the utter confusion and pain written on his features. "What…?"

Tears continued to flow down the young bodyguard's cheeks as she listened to Riza's other half try to speak. Why did he live while the prince died? "I'll kill you," she said through her teeth. "It's your fault my lord is dead." As she got to her feet and drew her sword, she froze as Roy stared unblinkingly up at her. He looked quite pitiful, but he didn't flinch, shout, beg for his life, or even bat an eye. His calculated charcoal gaze seemed to say _I can't stop you, but are you sure you want to do this?_ "No…I don't," she said softly, sheathing the sword and sitting beside him again. "I want to blame you, but the fault is just as much mine as it is Hawkeye's. She tricked us, and I fell for it."

Roy's mind was still rather jumbled, and he wasn't sure how long his consciousness would last, but hearing Riza's name awakened something inside him. Riza…tricked them? Ling was dead? How could this be? If only he wasn't so weak and beaten down, maybe he could find the Doctor and figure out what the hell happened while he was away. Dark spots clouded his vision, threatening to put him back under once more.

"There you are." Lan Fan looked up at the unfamiliar voice and redrew her sword. "You've got something of my dad's there. I'd like it back if you don't mind."

Lan Fan almost dropped her sword when she saw who it was that was approaching her. "My Lord…you're alive!" She wanted to run to him, but something about his chi was not quite right. His voice was also completely off. What had happened to him?

"Yeah, about that…I'm not your lord anymore. I'm flattered, really, but the name's Greed now. No hard feelings, but I've gotta kill you and get this bastard back where he belongs. Don't get me wrong, I like you; loving the pet name. Not many women out there who would call me their lord…or whatever. To be honest, I want you. I'd take you home in a second, and you're definitely one of the finer things this world has to offer, but orders are orders, I guess. I have to please dear old Dad, you know?"

How could this…thing…be possessing Ling's body? It didn't make any sense. "Ling Yao…is he…?"

"Oh, he's still alive. I've just got the wheel for now…and it's gonna stay that way. Enough talking; I'll make it quick. You won't feel a thing, honest."

"Wait!" Lan Fan planted herself in front of Roy and placed her sword on the ground in a gesture of surrender. "I'll give him to you without a fight in return for the prince. You can take him back to your father and do whatever you want…as long as you give the prince back to me. Give him control of his body, and Mustang is yours."

Greed erupted in laughter despite how desperate and serious she looked. "You're cute, you know that? You're really cute. Also a little heartless, but I like my women cold and mysterious. Tell you what; how about I just knock your pretty ass out, take what I came here for, and call it a night? I won't even kill you." This woman had guts, and he admired that. It would be a waste to kill her, really. Maybe he could even come back and claim her later.

Lan Fan picked up her sword once more. "I won't hurt my prince," she said through her teeth.

"I know you won't, and this is getting old. You couldn't hurt me if you tried, so please don't strain yourself." Greed strolled forward, hands in pockets, and whipped out his arm to knock her to the ground. "Sorry, sweetheart."

"Oi!"

Greed turned around just in time to be knocked upside the head by a tall man wearing a peculiar blue suit and red shoes. As he swerved to face his attacker, he saw a strange blue box materializing around Roy and Lan Fan, encasing them inside. "Hey! Those are mine!"

"Ooh, sorry, but I'm afraid not," the attacker replied. "Go home and tell your father that the Doctor will be making a house call very, very shortly." Grinning, he leaped inside the box and closed the door just before it began to phase in and out of existence once more, this time fading away and eventually disappearing.

* * *

By the time Alex and his men reached the wall, a large mass was tossed off the edge and into the snow. The squad leader instinctively leaped back, gaping uncomprehendingly at the gigantic, long-haired man that was now covered in ice. He had seen a lot of strange and unforgettable things as a Briggs soldier, but this new specimen took the cake. "General Armstrong?" he called. "Sir, we've returned from our patrol. Your brother is with us."

Olivier Mira Armstrong stepped onto the wall with her long, beautiful blonde hair blowing in the winter wind. She was one of the loveliest yet fiercest soldiers in the region, and everyone knew it. "Tell him to get lost," she called down. "The last thing we need is his whiny ass interfering with our operations."

"Come on, sis, this is important!" Alex called back. "At least give me five minutes!"

Olivier considered this and, knowing he would probably nag incessantly otherwise, reluctantly decided to relent. "Five minutes. Get your hulking ass up here before I change my mind."

Once they got inside, Alex prompted her to bring him to the darkest room in the facility. He couldn't say why, and his behavior was only increasing Olivier's suspicion. After muttering about how lucky he was for catching her in a giving mood, she stepped into a closet, yanked him in, and shut the door behind them. "All right, you've got five minutes to peak my interest and not a second more. As soon as that's up, your butt's going straight back to that cushy Central office where it belongs."

"Good to see you, too," Alex grumbled.

"The clock is ticking. Start talking, or I'll snap your sorry neck for wasting my time. In case you haven't noticed, I've got an operation to run. Drachma could come at us at any time, and I intend to be ready when they do."

"Drachma is the least of your worries," he started. "This is bigger than them…bigger than anything. You might not believe me, but people travelled through time to get this information to you, so believe me when I say it's important."

Olivier burst out laughing, though it dripped as much sarcasm as her regular speech. "Please tell me you can do better than that."

"Dammit, Olivier, I'm serious! You'll believe me when troops from Central come to take over command of Briggs. You know that giant you tossed over the wall and left to freeze over in the snow? They'll defrost him and send him right back underground so he can finish digging a tunnel. That tunnel is part of a bigger plan, and I was sent here to tell you what that is so you can be ready to play your part."

This was coming off as a load of horse shit, though Olivier couldn't deny she was intrigued by the gibberish that was flowing from her brother's mouth. It almost seemed too outlandish for him to fabricate—especially with that thick head of his—so it had to be fed to him somehow. Besides, why would he haul ass to the north to tell her this if it wasn't at least somewhat important? The man had always done everything in his power to avoid any and all communications with her, which was one of the only smart things she could really give the hair-brained idiot any credit for. If he was breaking the no-contact streak now, there had to be a reason. Time travel, though? Perhaps it was conceivable, at least; she couldn't deny the possibilities given how far alchemy has progressed over the years. She personally preferred to stay out of the nonsensical sorcery and advance her military career without using alchemy as a crutch, but it seemed Alex was prepared to drag her kicking and screaming into his world.

"My part, huh? Go on, then; tell me what my part is and, more importantly, why I should care."

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own the excellence that is Doctor Who and FMAB.**

**AN: Thanks again for being patient, guys! Lots of great progression here, so let's see if I can crank out another chapter a little sooner this time. As always, your feedback and ideas are greatly appreciated!**


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